For Lack of a Better Word
by Lass Cherrie
Summary: REVISIONS IN PROGRESS. / Ch 11: Things speed up as both Aliens and Mews alike make a dash for the next new mew. And it's time for Purin to meet Miruku. The story develops as characters and twists intertwine... R/I
1. One

**Jan 18, 2012.**

Hi, reader, and welcome to the very first fanfic I wrote for the TMM fandom. It's titled 'For Lack of a Better Word' because at the time, I couldn't come up with a suitable title, and it was intended to be a temporary stand-in. As you can see, I never got around to changing it, and its readers became attached to the title anyway. So FLoaBW it remained, and will continue to remain.

If you're one of the old fans of this fic, you may be wondering whether I'm ever actually going to finish this fic. The answer to that is ambiguous. Yes, the entire storyline for this baby is still crystal-clear in my head; I can recite the plot from beginning to end if you like. However, this babe was started a long, long time ago (I was barely fifteen when it began, and am 21 at the time of writing - urk) and both my maturity and the style/maturity of my writing have drastically changed. So, while I do intend and desire to see this fic completed, it would be difficult to try and maintain a consistent style of writing.

The short answer, then, is 'bear with me'.

I'm going to be heavily revising this fic; lots of grammar mistakes should be fixed up now. But I will do my best to preserve as much of the original prose as I can.

To old readers: thanks for following this story, and for reviewing. It still amazes me how much this fic took off when I published it. To any new readers: enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not (and did not) own Tokyo Mew Mew.

* * *

**For Lack of a Better Word**

Written: September, 2007.

* * *

For Kitty Kat K.O., the first reviewer. Ever.

* * *

**1) …**

* * *

Momomiya Ichigo stood awkwardly in the middle of Café Mew Mew. It was silent… everything was silent… not a voice, whisper or creak entered her world of shock. She was frozen in time, as though it had stopped and she was simply… there… standing in her strange, cold world.

The broom handle slipped through her hand and fell to the floor with a loud bang. But Ichigo didn't notice it. She didn't notice anything. She was in her strange, cold world… of shock … and horror...

* * *

_"Ichigo."_

_The red haired waitress looked up from where she had been absent mindedly mopping the floor. The love of her life, Aoyama Masaya, had just walked through the door. She greeted him brightly._

_"Aoyama-kun! Good evening!"_

_He smiled at her, but she could see there was something wrong. His dark brown eyes held no warmth; they had been drained of their usual happiness._

_"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked as he slowly crossed the room to where she was standing, her hands rested on the top of the broom handle. She frowned a little. It was unlike Masaya (perfect, adorable Masaya) to be unhappy._

_"I… Ichigo, I have some bad news," Masaya said finally. He averted his gaze from her questioning brown eyes and stared at the floor._

_"Aoyama-kun… what's happened? Why are you so sad?" Ichigo asked worriedly. Her heart was pounding with dread. It must be something horrible to make him so unhappy._

_"… I'm leaving," he blurted out, shoving his hands in the pockets of his black and white bomber jacket. Ichigo gasped as shock, fear and horror pierced her heart._

_"Wh-where are you going? Yokohama? Nagasaki? Kyoto?" she asked, reeling off the names of all the large cities she could think of. Masaya looked up at last, his eyes filled with terrible sadness._

_"England. Oxfordshire," he replied. "I've been accepted to Oxford University."_

_Ichigo couldn't believe it. He was leaving her… now?_

_"Why can't you go to University here?" she asked, voice wavering. She started to tremble uncontrollably. Masaya shook his head mournfully._

_"Mom wants the best for me," he explained quietly. "And Oxford is the best. We're leaving… tomorrow."_

_"What! But… why are you telling me this now? Couldn't you have told me earlier?" Ichigo cried, becoming hysterical._

_"I only found out a few days ago, and I didn't want you to worry too much about it–"_

_"What do you mean 'worry about it'?" Ichigo snapped angrily. "I'm going to lose you, and you didn't even give me one day to say goodbye? When will I see you again? Summer holidays?"_

_"… I'm not coming back, Ichigo…"_

_She fell silent. Never see him again? She didn't know if she could handle it._

_"Masaya…"_

_"Gomennasai, Ichigo. I have to go. I just wanted to see you before I left…"_

_"Masaya! Tell me you're joking! This is all a joke, isn't it? I'll see you at school on Monday and everything will be normal–"_

_"Ichigo! Listen to me. I'm not coming back. Ever. I'm going to university in England and then I'm going to America to take over my uncle's business. I'm never coming back. Don't you understand that?"_

_"Masaya… stop it…" Ichigo sobbed, tears threatening to spill from her sad eyes. He sighed._

_"I'm sorry, Ichi-chan–"_

_"Don't call me that!" she burst out suddenly. "You tricked me! You promised me you would always love me, and now you're willing to leave me for your education! Go away – get out! Go – go to England and… and…" she dissolved into tears, leaning heavily on the handle of the broom. Ichigo felt his arms go around her and she sobbed helplessly into his comfortable chest. How long will it be until I touch him again? Will this be the last time I ever hug him? She thought miserably._

_"Ichigo… I still love you… I'll always care about you. But I can't be with you anymore. This is too important," Masaya whispered into her ear. "Maybe someday our paths will cross…"_

_He let her go and stepped back, head bowed a little. He was avoiding her eyes again. Ichigo simply stared at the floor, too numb with shock. Masaya walked to the door and looked back._

_"Arigatou, Ichigo. Sayonara."_

_Then he was gone..._

* * *

Ichigo remained motionless, letting her emotions and confusing thoughts engulf her. What was she supposed to do now Masaya was gone? Another tear slipped down her cheek.

From the kitchen, blue-haired, pristine Minto and clumsy, green-haired Retasu watched, mouths open in surprise. Retasu turned to Minto.

"Poor Ichigo," she said sadly. Minto nodded, her eyes still fixed upon their red-haired friend. Keiichiro had taken Pudding home, and Zakuro was at a photo shoot; so the café was basically empty. Retasu had nearly dropped a plate when she had seen Masaya enter, and had pulled Minto away from her tea to watch the conversation wordlessly.

_What do I do now? _Ichigo asked herself. _He… he surely can't leave me just like that. It's so abrupt… it's almost like he never really cared for me at all… Oh, Masaya! Don't do this to me!_

"What should we do?" Retasu asked worriedly.

"Nothing," Minto replied simply.

"Minto! We can't leave her like that. We're her friends. That's so cruel," Retasu gasped.

"I wasn't meaning to be cruel, Retasu. What do _you _suggest we do?" Minto replied coolly. Retasu turned back to the doorway. Ichigo still hadn't moved a muscle.

"This isn't healthy, Minto," Retasu said finally.

"Well, I'm not exactly the cry-your-heart-out-on-my-shoulder friend Ichigo seems to depend on. Maybe you should go talk to her," Minto replied slyly. Retasu blushed.

"I'm not a soppy, Minto! But, what do I say to her? What if I make it worse? You know her better, Minto. Why don't you go?" she retaliated. While the two teenagers argued quietly, neither of them noticed the tall, slim figure appear at the bottom of the staircase. He had short, messy blonde hair and vivid, turquoise blue eyes. Dressed in his usual white suit pants and black vest with high collar, he'd probably just woken from an afternoon nap.

Ichigo relied on the broom handle to hold her weight. If she wasn't gripping it tightly in her white-knuckled, trembling hands, she would've fallen to the floor already. It wasn't just her hands that were shaking. Her entire body was trembling from shock. It pulsed through her veins, making the blood pump around her small body. Her cheeks were white as snow and still paling. The warmth had flooded from her normally cheerful eyes. She was cold all over. Her fingers were numb. Her heart raced a hundred miles an hour, like she'd just jumped off a cliff and was hurtling to the rocky ground below, with nothing to catch her fall.

Ichigo stood in her whirling feelings of helplessness and loss. Her hands tightened around the broom handle as she replayed the conversation again in her mind. Tears slipped down her frozen cheeks. This moment… she had never expected it. In all her horrid nightmares, Aoyama Masaya had never left her like this. It was unbelievable. It was impossible!

Retasu glanced back into the cafés main room and spotted the figure making his way across the floor to where Ichigo stood.

"Oh no!" she gasped. "Ryou!"

"Ichigo's in trouble now…" Minto muttered.

"Baka Strawberry!" Ryou snapped, noticing his usual perky waitress had seemingly become lost in the simple task of mopping the floor. He strode over.

"Have you forgotten how to clean, or something?" he asked patronisingly. "Guess it wouldn't surprise me. I'm surprised you even remembered where the mop lived."

To his surprise, instead of going red in the face and exploding, as she would normally do, Ichigo remained silent, staring straight ahead at something on the wall with wide, shocked eyes. Ryou followed her gaze. Seeing nothing, he looked at her.

"Well, don't just stand there, baka! Get back to work. Or I'll dock your pay."

He was unimpressed when she failed to react. Ryou crossed his arms and stood directly in front of her.

"Ichigo!" he snapped loudly, waving his hand in her face. She blinked a few times, steadied her gaze and focused it on him. A momentary look of surprise crossed his cool face. She wasn't her normal self, he could tell straight away. Her eyes had lost their warmth. He wouldn't let it get to him, though.

"What are you doing, baka? You're supposed to be working. I suggest you do so before I dock your pay for a month," Ryou threatened. The broom handle slipped from her hands and clattered to the floor. He cursed and jumped back.

"What's wrong with you, idiot! Pay attention to your work and pick up the mop! Finish this and clean the dishes for Keiichiro," Ryou yelled. Each word made Ichigo flinch, like a slap to her face. She stumbled away from him like a terrified rabbit, losing her footing and crashing to the floor. Ryou made an attempt to grab her, but missed.

"Get up! I don't know what's gotten into you today, but I'll not have it affecting your waitressing! Stop wasting my time and _get up_!_ Now_!" he shouted, becoming annoyed. Suddenly coming to, Ichigo leapt to her feet.

"Oh, dear," Retasu said from the kitchen door.

"Ryou shouldn't have said that," Minto agreed.

"Should we help?" Retasu asked. Before Minto replied, a shout interrupted them.

"All I ever do is _waste my time_ here!" Ichigo yelled. "What benefits do I get out of running around this place at your constant beck and call? None! I'm the only one who ever does anything around here, and you still pick up any tiny thing I do wrong! Well, I've had enough! I _quit_!"

She ripped off her apron and threw it at the feet of her bewildered boss, storming towards the door.

"Ichigo! You can't quit! You're a vital part of this team. Get back here!" Ryou shouted after her. He'd just noticed her tear-stained cheeks, and alarm pierced his heart. What exactly _had _happened to make her so upset? He'd seen her sad before, but never that unhappy.

Retasu and Minto watched his tall figure hurry out of the café after their infuriated friend, expressions of awe and shock fixed upon their faces. They looked at each other in amazement.

"Girls, is something the matter?" Keiichiro asked, coming through the back door with a bag of groceries.

* * *

Ichigo ran as fast as she could, not really paying any attention as to where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get as far away from Café Mew Mew, and especially Ryou, as fast as she possibly could. The afternoon was settling into evening, and the warm day was undergoing a cool change into what would become quite a frosty night.

_Where can I go? _Ichigo wondered. _Shirogane is following me. He already knows where I live, and besides, I don't feel like seeing Mom or Dad right now. The second place he'll check is the park… considering it's where I usually hang out when I'm in a bad mood. Hang on… Zakuro will have finished her photo shoot by now. I hope she's home…_

Ichigo made a sharp right turn down a side street and bolted down it, the cat inside her releasing its instincts. Her pace increased, her senses sharpened. Her heart raced with both horror and adrenaline, as night fell around her. The musky purple sky faded slowly into a deep velvet blue. She had no idea what the time was, or how long it had been since she left the café. Or whether Shirogane was still chasing her.

Ichigo stopped when she came to Zakuro's large house. The street around her was silent. S_hirogane must have gone back to the café. Good, s_he thought. A sole cicada chirped a lonesome song in the grass nearby. The lament made her heart feel heavier. It was as though, on this particular day, the rest of the world had decided to feel lost and alone as well. She felt no better about herself, or the situation she was in. Every time his name came into her messed up head, her heart panged with deep sadness and anger.

Ichigo walked through the gates and up to the front door, her heart residing to a slow thud as her breath returned. She rang the doorbell, shivering with cold. She'd never felt so awake at night before. Adrenaline made her heartbeat throb at her temple. Her red hair had blown askew in the wind as she'd run.

The door swung open and a petite little maid dressed in a simple black dress with a white apron peered out.

"I'm here to see Zakuro… is she home?" Ichigo asked hopefully. The maid nodded, bowed respectfully and stepped back to let her inside.

* * *

"Did you find her?" Retasu asked when Ryou returned.

"No."

He sank into a heart shaped chair and rested his head in his hands. Minto and Retasu exchanged sad glances. Ryou was furious at himself for yelling at her like that. He wanted to punch himself.

"Perhaps we should send out a search party," Keiichiro suggested, finishing the washing up himself. Ryou shook his head.

"No," he replied. "She's not missing. She just doesn't want to be found."

"Oh, I hope Ichigo's in safe hands," Retasu said, worry in her soft voice.

"You girls can go home now," Keiichiro told them, stacking plates. "You didn't have to stay this long. You can have the afternoon off tomorrow."

"Wait," Ryou called. "Before you leave. What... happened to Ichigo?"

"You don't know?" Minto asked, incredulous. She shared a glance with Retasu, looking back with reluctance. "Masaya broke up with her."

"He's going to England tomorrow," Retasu added. Ryou couldn't help but grin inside. He'd never liked Masaya. He always felt he didn't appreciate Ichigo enough. _Not that I'd do any better… _he thought. _No wonder she was so down. _

"It's getting late," he said to the two girls. "You should probably get going."

"Let us know if you hear anything from Ichigo," Retasu replied. "Goodnight, Akasaka-san."

"Goodnight, girls," Keiichiro bade them farewell. Once the door had shut behind them, Ryou turned to his friend.

"Perhaps you were a little too hard on Ichigo," Keiichiro commented.

Ryou sighed. "I shouldn't have yelled at her like that," he agreed. "It was too rough for her."

Silence fell between the two friends. Keiichiro hung up the dishcloth.

"Do you think she'll come back, Keiichiro?" Ryou asked quietly.

"Well… it's hard to say. From what I've heard from the girls she was quite angry. But, she's a virtuous leader, Ryou. I have faith in her. She'll come back," the dark haired young man replied, smiling reassuringly. Ryou was quiet, thinking about everything that had happened.

_So perfect Masaya broke her heart… he'd better not show his face here again. Besides the fact that Ichigo would probably have a melt down, I'm not sure I'd be able to stop myself from bashing his face in…_

Shirogane Ryou kept a secret deep inside himself. He'd never told anyone. Not even Keiichiro.

Ryou had fallen in love with Ichigo. No matter how hard he had tried to dissuade the feelings, he couldn't help himself. He had lost the battle the minute her sweet face had appeared on their research screen, that day when Ichigo had been out on her first date with Masaya to the Red Data Animal exhibition, so long ago.

Since then his feelings had grown inside him, troubling him every time he heard her say _his _name. Every time he saw them together he wanted to hit something. Every time she smiled, knowing it was not for him, he wanted to scream. But he didn't. Instead he retreated to the isolated safety of his bedroom, or busied himself with research for the Mew Project. But he couldn't do that anymore. There was only so much hiding he could do.

A deep hatred was starting to burn inside Ryou. A hatred for Masaya, for leaving Ichigo lost, alone and confused… and a hatred for himself, for treating her the way he had. The only way he had been able to hide his feelings from her was to shield them behind jeering snideness. A face he put on so she would believe he hated her. It was painful watching her stress over something he'd said, or something he'd done to upset her, when all he really wanted to do was make her smile.

Now, more than ever, all Ryou wanted to do was see her. To tell her that everything would be okay. He knew that in her present state she needed someone to ground her. Someone to give her reason to trust that the sun would shine in her world again. Someone she could lean on… to be her rock.

If only he could be that someone.

* * *

"Ichigo… are you alright?" Zakuro asked in surprise when the red haired girl entered her room. She looked up from her patchwork to see the normally over-the-top bouncy feline deprived of her usual joy. Her eyes were dark. Her hair hung limp. She was utterly exhausted.

"I just… Zakuro…" Ichigo murmured. Zakuro quickly put aside what she was doing to stand up. She put her arms around Ichigo's shoulders and sat her down on the edge of the bed. There were dark rings underneath Ichigo's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Zakuro asked, sitting back down. Her long, violet hair shone in the dim light emanating from her desk lamp. Her wise, dark, knowing eyes scanned her younger friend with calm concern. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"… Late," Ichigo muttered. "Masaya… Aoyama-kun… no… Aoyama… he… he…"

"What did he do?" Zakuro asked gently. Ichigo was obviously very troubled.

"H-he's gone… leaving," Ichigo replied in a dazed voice. "Tomorrow… he's going to England."

Zakuro took a sharp intake of breath. This was something she hadn't expected.

"He broke up with you, didn't he?" she said quietly, already knowing the answer. Ichigo burst into tears, hugging her knees.

Zakuro sighed. The number of girls she had seen broken by boys who had played with their hearts had taught her not to trust humans of the male gender. Besides Shirogane and Akasaka, she didn't let herself grow close to any boys. Her heart went out to her cat-girl friend. Being the wise friend everyone looked up to, she knew all the right things to say at the right time.

"Ichigo, he didn't mean to break your heart. But he had a choice to make. Obviously, his education means a lot to him. You know it in your heart; Masaya would never mean to hurt you. Not after what you shared. He cared about you. And who knows? Maybe when he's finished his university courses he'll come back to find you. If a boy really cares about you, he doesn't just let you go like that," she said.

Ichigo raised her tear-lined face from her knees and looked at her. Zakuro smiled a small smile.

"Really?" she wavered, seeking reassurance. Zakuro got up from the chair and made herself comfortable beside her friend.

"You're just confused because it was sudden. Don't worry, Ichigo. Things will improve. It always gets worse before it gets better. Tonight's the worst of it. Stay here this evening and I promise it will be better in the morning," she said. Ichigo stared at the floor, lost in her thoughts. Several moments later she let herself flop back against the cushiony pillows, where she watched shadows dance across the shaded roof.

"Zakuro, why do you do patchwork?" Ichigo asked presently. Zakuro reached for it, as if reminded, and began stitching again.

"Well… I like to have something I can do to get away from everything. Sometimes I just get sick of modelling, and sick of waitressing, and sick of saving Tokyo, and sick of being busy. My life gets so hectic sometimes that I just want to stop time and slow down a little bit. Sewing and patchwork really take me away from all that. It's just something I can do that's relaxing, time consuming and accomplishing," Zakuro explained. "Plus it adds sentimental value to the work. Having something homemade with love and time and effort sewn into the stitches is much nicer than buying something from a store. Things made with love are things I really treasure."

She looked to smile at Ichigo to find the cat-girl fast asleep, curled up in a comfortable ball with her cute face nestled on a plush cushion. Zakuro moved carefully off the bed, setting down her patchwork and flicking off the light. Her slim figure was silhouetted in the doorway to her bedroom before she quietly shut the door, leaving Ichigo sleeping peacefully.

* * *

"Morning, Keiichiro."

The long, brown pony-tailed chef seemed surprised when he entered the kitchen the next morning to discover his best friend still seated in the same chair he had left him in the previous evening when he'd retreated to bed.

"Please tell me you got some sleep last night, Ryou," Keiichiro replied.

"Well, now, the problem with that is, that would be lying," Ryou said simply. Keiichiro frowned, heading to the refrigerator.

"So, are you going to tell her?" he asked, starting to prepare their breakfast. Ryou's head snapped up like lightning. He sent his friend a suspicious look.

"Tell who what? Retasu and Minto know they don't have to come in this afternoon. Zakuro's been alerted of her shift after lunch tomorrow, and Purin is away with her siblings on vacation. They left this morning," he replied. "And I don't think Ichigo's in the mood to hear how much I hate her at the moment. Wouldn't that do wonders for her self esteem?"

"Ryou, how long have you known me for?" Keiichiro asked, a little exasperated.

"Too long," Ryou joked. His wise, brown haired friend turned around, a serious expression on his face.

"Exactly. I know you inside out; like a book. I know you love her."

Ryou felt the bottom of his stomach drop away. Was it that obvious? He glanced away as a pink tinge flushed his cheeks.

"Are you going to tell her?" Keiichiro asked again. "I think she has the right to know."

Shirogane rose from his seat, suddenly eager to get outside.

"I'll be back later," he said lightly. "We need to replace the supplies. The market's open on Saturdays, isn't it?"

"Ryou…" Keiichiro trailed off, unhappy that he was avoiding the conversation.

"If any of the girls come in, tell them I'll be back before lunch," Ryou continued, with a great air of casualness.

Keiichiro scowled. "You mean Ichigo?" he guessed, but Ryou was conveniently out of earshot. The door to the café slammed behind him, and Keiichiro let out a great sigh.

He'd replaced the supplies the day before.

* * *

Ryou wandered along the deserted, paved slate footpath, scuffing stones with his shoes every now and then. Annoying, confusing, frustrating thoughts whirled around his head. Where was Ichigo? Was she alright? How was she feeling? Would she ever come back to the café?

Would he ever see her again?

He followed the sandy paths through the park Ichigo had gone to so often to be alone. Ryou felt the need to be close to her bubble inside him. Being in the park where she'd spent so much of her time made him feel he was almost walking beside her… that at any moment he could look over and see her smiling face; red hair shining in the morning sun, brown eyes sparkling with excitement and happiness. Each step he took sent a painful jab of agony into his heart. He desperately wanted to fix things with her. But there just didn't seem to be any possible way.

Ryou made it through the park and wallowed towards the market. The more time he spent procrastinating, the more time it would take him to return to the café, and the less time there would be for Keiichiro to interrogate him.

_I can't believe he knows…_

The marketplace spread out before him like a life sized map. Bright coloured tents were propped up in neat rows. People drifted from stall to stall, some wandering absent mindedly, others searching briskly for specific ingredients. Ryou allowed himself to be swept along with the crowd. Sometimes he just wanted to walk and walk and walk forever… walk away from all his troubles and all his mistakes… to a place where none of it would matter. A place where that silly, frustrating, incredibly dense… _gorgeous_ strawberry couldn't get into his head.

"Shirogane-san!" a voice called. Ryou suddenly turned, surprised. Through the crowd he could see the shining green hair of shy Retasu. She hurried towards him and bowed respectfully.

"Good morning," Ryou greeted mildly. Retasu blushed, as was her custom.

"Have you heard anything from Ichigo yet?" the girl asked worriedly. A shadow of darkness flitted through his eyes.

"No. Not yet."

"Minto called me this morning to tell me that she was safe. Zakuro rang the café this morning, but no one answered. Ichigo is staying with her at the moment," Retasu said. "I just wondered if Ichigo had returned to the café yet."

Ryou cursed himself for not turning over the café phones that morning.

"No, she hasn't come back yet," he replied. "Hopefully she will soon, though."

"Well, I suppose I can't really stay and chat any more. I've got to cook lunch today and we're running low on fresh fruit," Retasu said awkwardly. Her face was as red as a beetroot.

"Guess I'll see you 'round," Ryou replied flatly.

"Shirogane-san, are you sure you don't want me to come and work this afternoon? I'm really not very busy," Retasu offered. "I just feel so guilty knowing that I would normally be working…"

"No, no. It's fine, Midorikawa. Enjoy your afternoon, okay?" Ryou said. She bowed again and disappeared into the crowd.

Ryou drifted slowly back to the entrance of the marketplace. So Ichigo was safe. His heart lifted and some of his anxiety settled. But he still worried for her mentality and well being. Knowing that she was in the capable hands of trustworthy Zakuro raised his spirits a little and he began to head back towards the café.

* * *

**Afterword**

* * *

**So, what did you think? I hope it was alright. I have to get running now; we're going swimming, as it's nearly summer in Australia!**

**The review button's right there! Don't make me tempt you with it!**

**Review review review!**

**Much love,**

**xx**

_Cherrie-Sakura_

(September 21, 2007.)

* * *

**New Afterword**

* * *

Wow. Re-reading through that had me seriously cringing in places. There's so much that - had I the opportunity to re-write now - I would fix; Masaya's being disgustingly OOC (Ryou, too, actually), the stereotypical cliched beginning of a R/I romance fic, where Ichigo gets spontaneously dumped by Masaya and runs to Ryou for comfort... Sometimes I can't believe some of the stuff I wrote. I know it gets worse too - Saki, when she comes in, is the biggest Sue on the planet, and just about every Kish/Ichigo shipper must have hated me for my portrayal of him. But hey, it was consistent with his character in the anime, so sue me. :P

I'm looking forward to completing the revisions of this fic, and completing it, if I ever get around to it. If that day comes, I hope you'll still be on board.

Until then, thanks for reading!

**With love,**

Cherrie xx

(January 18, 2012.)


	2. Two

**2) ...**

Dedicated to Kin756894

* * *

"Ichigo…"

A voice drifted among her dreams. The cat-girl struggled to stay in her imaginative world.

"Ichigo, wake up." The voice was more stern now, and more persistent. Ichigo found her dream dissolving around her and she opened her eyes, her head thick with sleepiness.

"Wha?" she mumbled groggily. Her eyes widened. She was not in her bedroom. The walls were painted a greyish purple and there was a patchwork design on the duvet beside her. A girl with long, royal purple hair was sitting beside her on the large bed.

"Zakuro!" Ichigo gasped, sitting up suddenly. The previous day's events flooded back to her.

"It's okay, Ichigo. There's no need to panic. I just wanted to wake you because I have another photo shoot to attend today for a cosmetic company. I'm leaving in about ten minutes. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me," Zakuro said.

Ichigo rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Sure. I mean, I don't have anything better to do today," she replied. "What do you want me to do?"

"You can be my personal assistant for the shoot. Just carry my planner around and let me know what's happening when and where, okay?" Zakuro said.

Ichigo nodded. "Can I change out of these clothes first?"

Zakuro smiled. "Sure. I have a whole closet of outfits donated by modelling companies as thanks for the work I do for them. Take your pick. I'll wait for you downstairs," she replied, leaving the room. Ichigo looked around her for a moment, drinking in the belongings of Zakuro, before slipping off the bed and wrenching open the double doors to the closet. She gasped as the lights came on in the large, spacious room.

There were rows of coat hangers, suspended from which were garments of all sorts and colours, for literally any occasion she could think of. As she wandered down the rows, marvelling at the array of expensive clothing, she spied a specific section for bathing suits, another section for evening wear, and a small section that consisted solely of clothing for horse riding. Next to that was a rack of golf wear.

Ichigo's eyes sparkled as she found a rack that suited her tastes. Summer dresses! In all different colours and sizes. There was a large assortment of designs, ranging from florals to fruits, from lace and frill to silk. She instantly located the dress of her dreams. Short, light, rose pink, with puff sleeves and a ruffled neckline, which showed off her neck and collarbone; with a neat hem that brushed her thighs and complimented her figure. A cherry pink ribbon was tied around the waist, with the legs of the bow trailing down the front of the little garment.

Ichigo quickly checked that her pigtails were neat enough before hurrying out of Zakuro's room and down the stairs. Her friend was waiting for her beside the front door, leaving instructions with the maid. A short man dressed in a black suit stood patiently beside her.

"Pink. What a surprise," Zakuro greeted sarcastically in her smooth voice. Ichigo beamed. Looking at all the clothing in Zakuro's room had raised her spirits considerably from the mood she had been in the previous evening.

"Ichigo, this is my limousine driver, Kenji," the older teen introduced her to the short man. "Kenji, this is my friend and personal assistant for the shoot today, Momomiya Ichigo."

"Pleased to meet you," Ichigo said, bowing respectfully. The man grunted gruffly and headed outside.

"Don't worry, he's actually a kind soul," Zakuro said, noticing the shocked expression on the red-head's face. "Let's get going, or we'll be late."

They walked out through the front door and down the steps to the driveway, where a white limousine was waiting proudly. An elegant picture of Zakuro had been painted onto the gleaming roof.

The real Zakuro was wearing a pair of designer dark denim jeans and a purple denim jacket, with a lavender satin scarf tied around her neck. Her feet were clad in a pair of black stilettos. Ichigo followed her down to the awaiting limousine. Kenji held open the door for them and they slipped onto a pale purple leather seat.

As the limousine pulled away from Zakuro's house and began its journey to the studio, Ichigo examined the interior of the fancy vehicle. It had thick, black carpet underfoot, moody down lights lining both sides, and a small refrigerator. A panel of tinted glass separated the driver's cab from the main compartment. At the far end of the limousine was a snazzy, flat screen, which the red-head imagined was a television.

"So?" Zakuro's calm voice interrupted her amazement.

"This car is incredible! It's probably worth more than my house!" Ichigo jabbered excitedly.

"I'm surprised, Ichigo, that Shirogane isn't making you work today," Zakuro said coolly. Ichigo's heart fell rapidly. She'd forgotten that she'd quit. Already she was starting to regret it, though she didn't really know why. She'd been overworked there long enough.

"I guess I forgot to tell you that I quit yesterday," Ichigo said dully.

Zakuro looked at her sharply. "Why?" she demanded. "They need you there. Not just for waitressing purposes."

Ichigo knew exactly what she meant. But she was sick of fighting aliens as well. It never got them anywhere. All it did was take up her time and leave her bruised and exhausted. And the aliens hadn't attacked Tokyo for a long time now. She was starting to think they might have finally decided to leave Earth alone.

"I've had enough of working for Shirogane," Ichigo said defiantly. "He just overworks everyone and never thanks us for what we do for him. I've had enough."

"That's probably not the best attitude to have towards him. What about the other Mews? I'm sure they're sick of working there as well. But they don't up and quit when they feel like it," Zakuro reprimanded her calmly.

"That's not true!" Ichigo replied. "Minto quit when she was scared, remember?"

"True. But she also came back. You haven't yet."

"And I won't, either," Ichigo said decidedly. "I've made up my mind, Zakuro. You can't change it for me."

"Suit yourself. Come on, we're here," Zakuro replied, as Kenji opened the car door. Ichigo sat for a moment, stunned that Zakuro had accepted her decision so easily. Then she quickly slid out of the limousine and hurried up the stairs to the studio.

* * *

"Akasaka-san?"

A quiet voice penetrated the silence that had settled over Café Mew Mew. Keiichiro looked up from the large, cream-iced sponge cake he was decorating to find two teenage girls standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Retasu! Minto! What are you doing here? I thought Ryou gave you the day off today," Keiichiro greeted the mews in surprise. Retasu was dressed in a simple, pale blue knee-length summer dress with a light grey cardigan. Minto, looking unimpressed, wore a navy blue, velvet mini-dress with puff sleeves and a white collar, underneath which was tied a neat bow, white stockings and patent leather shoes.

"We felt bad because no-one was working today, seeing as Purin is on vacation and Zakuro is busy," Retasu explained. "And we wanted to see if you've heard anything yet from Ichigo."

"Well, that's wonderful of you, really, coming in today," Keiichiro said happily.

"She _made _me come," Minto said. "I have plenty of important things I could be doing."

"I'm sure you do, Minto. But I am glad you decided to come in anyway. It was very thoughtful of you," Keiichiro replied charmingly, smiling. "We are rather busy today. It would be great to have some extra help."

Retasu blushed at being complimented. Minto scowled.

"Sure, whatever. What do you want us to do?" she sighed. They were interrupted by the arrival of a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed, displeased-looking someone.

"Shirogane-san," Retasu greeted, blushing redder and bowing respectfully.

"I could've sworn you girls had the day off today. Unless I was dreaming," Ryou replied sarcastically.

"Oh trust me, you weren't dreaming. Those were the best words I've ever heard come from your mouth," Minto replied, just as sarcastically.

"So what are you doing here then? It's not often I'm so generous as to allow my workers to have a complete day off," Ryou said, approaching the group.

"Oh, we just decided to be do-gooders today. You know, wouldn't want you two to work too hard," Minto replied, smirking.

"I'm drowning in their sarcasm," Retasu moaned meekly.

Keiichiro laughed good-naturedly. "Yes, it can be quite tiresome, can't it?" he agreed. She nodded.

"Right then. Seeing as you two are here, you may as well go and get changed. There's a lot of cleaning that needs to be done here," Ryou said, turning away from his blue-haired waitress. His gaze lingered for a moment on shy Retasu, who automatically blushed. _A__gain_.

He often wondered how it came to be that fate selected _her _to be one of Tokyo's guardians. He'd never met a girl so unconfident.

"Well, go on then. Get going," he continued, strolling past them and towards the stairs, which he proceeded to climb.

"Yes sir," Minto sighed.

"If you need any specific help, let me know," Keiichiro called after them.

"Thank you so much, Retasu, for showing me the light of doing good. I feel so enlightened now," Minto snapped sarcastically as the two teenagers headed to the change rooms.

Ryou collapsed onto his bed. It was almost midday and there was _still _no word whatsoever from Ichigo. Perhaps she had been serious about quitting being a Mew and working at the café.

The thought alarmed him. Ichigo was his best worker. Not to mention she was the valiant leader of the team. He doubted they would be able to function without her. It would be a phenomenal loss in both ways. He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. Even with them tightly shut her face floated into his vision. He couldn't get her out of his head.

"Snap out of it, Shirogane," he muttered angrily. "You're acting like a lovesick fool, when she wasn't even yours to begin with. She'll never _be_ yours, either."

Ryou deflated and opened his sad eyes again to stare at the roof. The silence fed his brooding pessimism. There was a small knock on his bedroom door and Keiichiro entered.

"Sorry to interrupt, but our sensors have detected the presence of Cyniclons in the Earth's stratosphere. In less than an hour they'll be in the atmosphere, and who knows where they'll go after that," he said. "Masha is going hectic down in the laboratory."

"What are those freaks doing back here?" Ryou demanded furiously, sitting up abruptly. He rose from the bed and brushed past Keiichiro as he headed down the stairs.

"I'm not sure exactly why they're here, but it's never for a good cause," Keiichiro continued, following his partner down to the lab. "We can expect mischief."

"I wish we knew what their plan was. Without Ichigo we could be in serious trouble," Ryou muttered darkly. They walked through the doors into the dark lab and he headed straight over to the bright computer screens.

"Cyniclon alert! Cyniclon alert!" Masha was babbling hysterically.

"It's okay, Masha," Keiichiro said gently. "We'll have them under control soon."

"We may not even have to take action," Ryou replied. "They haven't attacked yet."

A light was flashing close to a diagram of the earth, radiating yellow waves.

"They're hovering just over China as we speak," Ryou announced. "They're heading for Japan."

"And at a steady rate, too. We'll have to move quickly if we want to stop them," Keiichiro added, concerned.

"We'll wait until something significant happens. They might just be here for research. There's no point attacking them if it'll only drag us into the media limelight," Ryou decided. "Besides, we don't want the Cyniclons to know we're onto them."

"Good idea. I'll let the girls know," Keiichiro said.

"Keiichiro!" Ryou called, stopping his friend. "Send Masha to find Purin, and try to locate Zakuro. Make sure we're all here in case we're needed."

"Will do," Keiichiro promised, disappearing through the door. Ryou turned back to the screen.

"Ichigo, we need you."

* * *

"Pai, set course for Tokyo. My senses are telling me there's trouble in paradise with our Mew friends."

Kisshu stood in the control room of the large Cyniclon ship, a smirk fixed upon his pale face. His seaweed-green hair shone in the bright light emanating from the computer screens.

"What do you mean, Kisshu?" Pie demanded, crossing his arms. His dark eyes scanned the mischievous alien sternly. Standing with perfect posture, Pai was the tallest of the three Cyniclon aliens. His purplish-blue fringe was tied in a braid down the side of his face, where it hung next to his ear. The rest of his hair was rather scruffy in a neat sort of way. Pai was very proper, and didn't believe in anything not in the least bit sensible.

"I'm picking up some pretty negative energy coming from the delightful cat girl. She seems to be having some…_ issues_… if you know what I mean," Kisshu replied deviously.

"I'm afraid I don't," Pai said shortly.

"Come on, Kisshu! Cut to the chase and tell us what's happening in Tokyo!" Taruto cried impatiently. He was the youngest and the smallest of the Cyniclon warriors, with messy brown hair tied in two pigtails, which gave him a girlish appearance.

"That's enough! Quieten down. Though I agree - Kisshu's games are becoming rather frustrating. Tell us what is happening in straightforward terms, Kisshu. I'm in no mood for childish mind-games," Pai said sternly.

"Oh, you two are _no_ fun," Kisshu complained, yellow eyes sparkling. "So I guess I'd better enlighten you. Ichigo and that _lovely _dream-boy Aoyama have broken up, at last. It's about time, too. Those two would never have lasted. I'm surprised they came this far. Little kitty-cat seems to be pretty upset by the ordeal, so we're gonna go… _cheer her up_… as they say. I think a little fight to test out our latest creation should shake things up a bit. Ichigo needs a good talking to, if you ask me."

"Which we didn't. However, we do need to try the new Chimera Anima, so considering we're already this close to Earth, we may as well keep going," Pai said. Kisshu danced around ecstatically.

"I was waiting for the end of their little fairytale," he sang gleefully.

"But Kisshu, this mission is primarily for research reasons, is it not?" Pai asked, suddenly suspicious. Kisshu stopped prancing around and faced his comrade sharply.

"Of course. Why else would we have any need to approach their pathetic planet?" he replied.

Pai surveyed him suspiciously. "Very well then. Do not let your personal mission get in the way of the research for the Cyniclons, Kisshu. Or we'll have to report to Deep Blue," he said coolly. "Come on, Taruto. We should prepare the transport pad."

"I don't get it, Pai," Taruto's voice whined as the two left the room. "Why would Kisshu want to go to Earth if it wasn't for the Cyniclons?"

Their voices faded away into silence.

"Wouldn't you like to know, little one?" Kisshu said quietly, grinning to himself. "Oh, you're mine now, kitty-cat."

He faced the computers once more, unable to prevent the gleeful laughter that escaped his fanged lips.

* * *

"Zakuro, where would you like me to put these boxes?" Ichigo struggled to ask. Her voice was muffled behind the large stack of heavy cardboard boxes she was carrying as she followed Zakuro around the studio.

"Just a little further, Ichigo. My dressing room's just up here," Zakuro replied. They were being given a guided tour of the premises by the director of photography, Yamamoto Kentaro. He was a tall, built man, slightly portly, dressed in a smart black suit with a shimmering green tie. His shoes were smart and shiny to match, and his black hair was swept back in a suave comb-over. He wore a pair of small, oblong frames which accentuated his intelligence. He was a very 'cool' man.

"So, this is the main dressing room. Several metres down the corridor are the female rest rooms. The small yet very exquisite cafeteria is down the corridor to your right. Just follow the hallway. You can't miss it. As you've just seen, my office is back down to your left and the studio itself is right at the end of the corridor. There are small plaques that announce it. I'm sure you'll see them," Mr Yamamoto said charmingly.

"Thank you. I'm sure it'll be fine," Zakuro replied, smiling.

"We're very pleased to work with you, Miss Fujiwara," Mr Yamamoto said, bowing once before hurrying away.

"Okay, in here, Ichigo," Zakuro explained, pushing open the door to the dressing room. Ichigo tottered in and stumbled, dropping the boxes in a heap on the floor.

"Whoops! Sorry, Zakuro," she apologized quickly.

"It's no big deal. They're just cosmetics. I'm really not that concerned about their welfare," Zakuro replied, stepping around the mess. Ichigo neatened up the pile and examined the room with the older girl. It was very large, with blue carpet, clean white walls and a long bench, above which were many mirrors lined with large light bulbs. Ichigo felt like she was about to participate in a musical. A large rack on wheels stood in one corner of the room. An array of glamorous dresses hung from it. Ichigo carefully looked through them, eyes twinkling with the diamante reflections.

"You get to wear all these?" she gasped. Zakuro turned to see what she was looking at.

"It's not that fun. Really," she replied. "You get sick of wearing them after a hundred photo shoots."

"I could never get sick of wearing dresses!" Ichigo argued.

"So girly," Zakuro muttered.

"Heard that!" Ichigo called from the corner of the room, still looking at the gowns. Zakuro smiled. A busy-looking woman in a red jacket and skirt suit set, with matching red heels hurried in. Her jet black hair was swept up behind her in an elegant, tight French twist. Her clean face wore an almost stern expression. Her sharp eyes swept around the room once, settled for a moment on Ichigo, who blushed under her intense gaze and flickered over to Zakuro. She immediately became simpering.

"Miss Fujiwara, it is a pleasure to be working with you. I'm Rika, the hair and make up artist. My team and I will be working with you for the shoot today. Who is this… may I ask?" Ichigo realised she meant _her._

"This is my personal assistant, Ichigo," Zakuro replied calmly. "She must be beside me wherever I go."

"Very well," Rika said, somewhat irritably. "The shoot begins in half an hour. My team and I will be back in five minutes to start your dressing."

She swept from the room in a matter of seconds and disappeared up the hallway.

"See what it's like in the modelling business?" Zakuro said. "It's not all pretty outfits and nice photos. Some of the people we have to work with are so tiresome."

Precisely five minutes later, Rika was back with three young, skinny females with long black, neat ponytails and smart, glittering outfits. They all wore tight black pants and red halter neck shirts studded with diamantes. Their makeup was clearly defined, with dark red lipstick to accentuate their already plump lips. They all glanced at Ichigo out of the corner of their beady eyes, with snooty expressions, and set to work immediately.

One brushed past the cat-girl and began skimming through the evening gowns, glancing back at Zakuro every now and then. Another began effortlessly rummaging around in the cardboard boxes, collecting useful cosmetics. Every time she picked a jar up, she glanced back at Zakuro, muttered something and either put it in a small bag with the cosmetics already selected, or she dropped it back into the box and continued searching. The third sat Zakuro down in a hairdresser's chair and spun her around to face her. Then she clipped a tarp-like cover around her neck to protect her clothing and swept her long purple hair back behind her shoulders. From there she proceeded to clean Zakuro's face with a warm cloth and pressed it dry with a fluffy white towel.

Ichigo stood in the corner, wondering what she could do to help. She sank down on a chair and watched the process. Rika reappeared moments later, carrying a clipboard.

"What have you given me to work with?" she snapped at her three accomplices. The first carried an armful of gowns over. The second handed the make up bag to her. The third moved out of the way of Zakuro and stood beside the others. They each presented their treasures to the queen.

She skimmed through it all and looked over Zakuro quickly, who waited patiently.

"No. No. No. This will do. Yes, right colour. No. No. Yes. Could work. Perfect. Right, get to work! We have twenty minutes to create a masterpiece!" Rika snapped, thrusting her selections in the hands of the appropriate assistants.

Zakuro was dragged into a small room off the side of the dressing room, dressed quickly and returned to her comfortable-looking chair in a matter of seconds. There, she was powdered, pampered, her make-up and hair were stylishly completed and, before Ichigo could react, she was swept from the room.

Leaping off her chair, Ichigo scurried after them, down the corridor to the studio, where the small party was greeted by Mr Yamamoto and a team of camera men.

"Ah! Just in time," Mr Yamamoto said pleasantly. "And you do look ravishing, Miss Fujiwara. Allow me to introduce you to the camera team. The shoot will take about an hour all up, followed by a brief luncheon in the cafeteria. Miss Ichigo, there's a special seat here, just for you."

A row of comfy chairs had been set up in a line across the front of the studio. As she sat down (with Rika and her angels seating themselves as far away from her as possible), she glanced around the interior of the studio.

It was quite large, and a basic square-shape, with a high roof. Thick beams criss-crossed from wall to wall near the roof, suspended from which were many huge, heavy, dangerous-looking stage lights. Cables and wires were neatly bundled and tied back against the walls. Three of the walls were a plain white, almost paper-like material, set up around a white catwalk, large for a studio, but small in comparison to runway catwalks. There were small lights running along either side of the catwalk, presumably to make the models shine. Alongside the row of chairs they were seated on, about a dozen large, expensive and very breakable-looking cameras on wheels were set up. A single chair had been placed among them. The word 'director' was written across the back of it in large, black letters.

Mr Yamamoto led Zakuro over to the catwalk. She was wearing a midnight blue halter neck velvet dress which accentuated her curves and flattered her slender arms and neck. The hem fell to the floor, where folds of material sat elegantly, so her shoes couldn't be seen. A pair of white silk gloves reached up her arms, just above her elbow. Her hair was all up in a twist similar to Rika's, with her fringe neatly swept to one side, and two strands of hair beside her ears had been carefully left to hang at her shoulders. The cosmetic product was clearly an expensive brand. Her eyes were exquisitely lined with black liner, her lashes combed to extreme accentuation with dark, rich blue mascara. Her eye-shadow blended smoothly from midnight blue closest to the eyelashes, to powder blue under her finely arched eyebrows. Her cheeks were tinged merry pink with blush and her lips sparkled blood red with shimmering, diamond-like lipstick and gloss.

"Okay, crew, we're ready to shoot," Mr Yamamoto announced. "Now, Zakuro, strike a pose for me. An elegant pose. Imagine that you're at an extremely fancy party, and you're the most beautiful, radiant woman there. Imagine there is a table behind you, with a punch bowl on it. I want you to turn around with your back to us, like your going to the punch bowl, then glance over your shoulder, as though some dashing young man has just caught your attention. That's it! Hold it right there!"

Zakuro was a natural. The back of her dress scooped to her lower back, defining the smooth, graceful curve of her spine, the softness of her skin. Ichigo beamed as she watched the cameras flash. Zakuro was stunning. After several full shots, about ten close-ups of her face, and the panning filming for a television advertisement, they were done. Ichigo glanced around for a clock. It was nearly one o'clock.

"I can't believe how quickly that went," she said to Zakuro after she'd been taken back to the dressing room, had her makeup removed and had changed back into her jeans and jacket. They were sitting at a small, round table in the cafeteria. Ichigo had expected something like a café. When they'd walked into the luxurious room, the first thing she'd noticed was the crystal fountain bubbling merrily in the middle of the room. The floor was shining with polished ocean blue tiles. The walls were a refreshing light aquamarine. Spaced evenly along the walls were large pots, each containing a miniature palm tree. It was more like a gourmet restaurant than a simple cafeteria.

Zakuro ordered a garden salad for herself and strawberry parfait for Ichigo from a snobby, well dressed waiter, and they waited patiently for their food to arrive.

"You're an amazing actress, Zakuro. Seriously, I can't believe you could just strike up a pose like that. It was like you already knew what to do!" Ichigo praised her friend.

"I often do," Zakuro admitted. "A lot of companies want the same sort of marketing for their product. Elegance seems to be the advertising hit at the moment."

"Oh," Ichigo said. "Well, still. You looked awesome! And that dress…" She sighed dreamily.

Zakuro's serene eyes scanned the room. "Ichigo, I need to talk to you, seriously."

"Er… okay," Ichigo replied, losing her bubbly smile. "What's wrong?"

"About our conversation in the limousine. I need you to think on it carefully. I think you'll find that quitting the Mews will be the biggest mistake of your life," Zakuro said seriously. Ichigo frowned.

"I don't _have _a life when I'm with the Mews," she replied.

"Ichigo, your life _is _the Mews. You're the leader. You were the first one of us to be chosen. You're also the most powerful. Imagine what it will be like for the rest of us without you. We each have to contribute the same amount to this team. And Purin and Retasu look up to you. Without you to lead them, they will be completely lost. Even Minto has respect for you."

"Minto! Are you crazy? She'd like nothing more for me to be out of her pristine life," Ichigo scowled.

"That's not true. Although she seems snobbish on the outside, Minto really looks up to you, Ichigo. I know she does. And quitting the team would be the biggest disappointment in Ryou and Keiichiro's eyes. Do you understand that?"

"I do, but…" Ichigo trailed off.

Zakuro was right. There was no way she could avoid the truth. Deep down, Ichigo knew she couldn't quit the Mews forever. But that didn't mean she was going back yet.

"I guess you're right. But I'm not going back just yet. I need a break," Ichigo said, right as their food arrived. She smiled down at her delicious-looking strawberry parfait and her stomach rumbled.

"Everyone needs a break every now and then. Just don't let that interfere with your duties to the world," Zakuro shared her wisdom, digging into her salad elegantly with a fork.

Ichigo drank in her words, scooping up some parfait. _Who knew a girl so young could have so much knowledge to share…_

* * *

**To be continued...**


	3. Three

**3) ...**

Dedicated to Kitty Kat K.O.

* * *

Purin held the tiny hand of her blonde-haired younger sister as they walked along the sandy beach. It was a glorious day. Blue sky, warm, bright sun, turquoise waves crashing invitingly against the strip of land, which seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon. The salty ocean wind blew their hair out of their faces. Up ahead, her three black-haired brothers wrestled and ran along the beach.

"Holidays are great, na no da?" Purin asked her sister, smiling happily.

"Na no da!" her sister mimicked her cutely. "Let's go swimming!"

"Soon, little monkey. There's a special beach just up here that's better for swimming in. It has rock pools," Purin replied.

Her sister squeaked excitedly, and let go of her hand as she ran, eager to reach the 'special beach'. Purin laughed and followed her. It was the perfect day for a holiday, especially to go to the beach.

When she reached the rock pools she found her sister splashing her hands in one, two of her brothers jumping in a large one they'd found, and her third brother poking tentatively at a crab with a piece of driftwood. Purin wandered among the rocks, occasionally dipping her feet in a warm pool or stopping to examine an exotic sea life form. She was happy, she was relaxed, yet she couldn't help wonder what was happening back home at the café. Whether there was a huge queue; who was earning the most tips; how many plates Retasu had smashed…

Purin reached the end of the rock pools and her feet hit warm, soft, dry sand. She dug her toes in it, wiggling them around and smiling as she felt the sand running between them. Then she sat down and laid herself out under the sun. It was such a great day… and she was growing drowsy… the laughs and squeals of her siblings eased her into a pleasant snooze…

"Purin! Purin!" a voice cried. The monkey-Mew's eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up. She had no idea how much time had passed; the sun was still high in the sky and her siblings were still playing in the rock pools. Her sister had called to her.

"Purin! Look what I found!" she called again. Her three brothers were instantly by her side. Purin scrambled to her feet and ran over to the pool they crowded around. Her sister grabbed her hand and pulled her into their tight circle. Under the water, with round eyes as wide as they could possibly go, was a small, fluffy pink creature with dark ears and a squiggling tail. Right now, it looked quite alarmed.

"I found it," her sister said proudly. "It was floating, so I wanted to see if it could swim."

"Hold it down! Hold it down!" one of the boys cried, pinning the little pink toy-like thing under the water.

"Masha!" Purin cried in alarm. She wrenched her brother's hands off the little bat-like mechanical creature and pulled it out of the rock pool. Masha was dripping with sea water. It coughed and splutted, shaking its fur like a dog. Purin's sister laughed.

"Uh… guys… go see if you can find another one of these in another pool. I think I saw one over there!" Purin lied, eager to find out why Masha was at the beach. Her siblings instantly scurried in the direction she was pointing.

"Masha, why are you here, na no da?" Purin asked.

"Purin-san! Purin-san! Cyniclon alert! The Cyniclons are here!" Masha chirruped.

"In Tokyo!" Purin gasped.

"No – no! Coming, coming!" Masha cried hysterically. Purin started to panic.

"They need my help, don't they Masha?" she asked.

"Keiichiro sent me to find you! Hurry, hurry!" Masha cried. Purin didn't know what to do.

"But what about my siblings?" she asked. Masha was now circling itself. Purin looked over her shoulder at them. Then she headed over to them.

"There's not one here!" her brother stated matter-of-factly.

"Don't worry about that. I need you all to head back to the hotel, okay? I've got something I need to do back in Tokyo. But I'm coming back. I'll be here for dinner, na no da!" Purin said. They looked up at her with sad faces.

"Okay," one of the boys sighed.

"Be happy, little munchkins! Na no da!" Purin laughed.

"Na no da!" her sister echoed as she ran back across the beach to Masha.

"Okay, Masha, let's go!"

* * *

"What do you mean, 'they're back'? Who are?" Minto demanded.

"The Cyniclons. We're not sure why they're here, but we don't think it's for a good cause," Keiichiro explained as they followed him into the kitchens.

"Is it ever for a good cause?" Minto asked cynically.

"Not really," Retasu replied.

"So what do we do, Keiichiro? It's not like we can fight them just the two of us. With Ichigo, Zakuro and Purin missing, we aren't even half the strength we usually are," Minto said.

"We've sent Masha to find Purin and we're trying to locate Zakuro at the moment," Keiichirou explained. "Any ideas where she is?"

"Any idea! Of course! What kind of fan doesn't know where her idol is?" Minto scoffed. "She's at the studio near the Convention Centre, doing a photo shoot for a cosmetic company."

"How far away is this studio?" Ryou asked, entering behind them.

"How should I know? It's not like I've _been_ there," Minto replied delicately, preening her fingernails.

"Wait, did you say it was near the Convention Centre?" Keiichiro asked suddenly.

"Yeah, so? What does that have to with anything?" Minto replied.

"Well, Zakuro modelled at the Convention Centre a while back. When the Cyniclons created the turtle Chimera Anima," Keiichiro recalled thoughtfully.

"Oh! Yes! The Rainbow Stone!" Retasu said brightly. "I remember now."

"If we can find the Convention Centre, we can find the studio," Ryou decided.

"I'm sure it won't be of too much difficulty," Keiichiro agreed. There was a hectic beeping from somewhere below them.

"The lab! The computers have probably picked up a stronger signal!" Ryou said sharply.

They trooped downstairs as quickly as they could. The screens on the wall were flashing madly. Images of the yellow flashing dot had enlarged, and it now hovered directly over Japan.

"They're here. They're just above Tokyo," Ryou declared, pressing buttons on the touchpad. "We need to get a better tracking device, Keiichiro. This one's out of date. We need to be able to track them faster."

"The dot's moving!" Minto gasped.

"Where are they going?" Retasu wondered. They all watched the dot move closer and closer towards inner Tokyo.

"You know… it looks like it's heading…" Keiichiro trailed off thoughtfully.

"To the Convention Centre!" the girls gasped.

"No, not quite. But close. Actually, I think… Zoom in on their location, Ryou," Keiichiro said, frowning.

"Already on it," Ryou replied. He pressed a button and a detailed picture of the streets around the Convention Centre appeared. They followed the yellow dot with their eyes.

"No! That must be the studio!" Minto cried.

"Come on! Zakuro's there and she can't fight those fools alone!" Ryou said, automatically becoming the serious commander. "Keiichiro–"

"I'll meet you out the front," Keiichiro interrupted, already knowing what he was going to say. Ryou nodded once before following the two teenagers out of the laboratory. They were in the kitchen when a door opened quickly somewhere and a voice cried: "I'm here, na no da! What's the problem?"

"Purin!" Minto and Retasu breathed in relief. They followed Shirogane out into the front room of Café Mew Mew, where their young, blonde-haired friend had just entered with Masha.

"No time to explain, Purin. Just come on!" Minto said, grabbing her arm and dragging her out behind Retasu.

Out the front of the Café, a red Lamborghini was waiting with its engine chuckling quietly. Keiichiro sat in the driver's seat. Ryou was already walking towards the car. The three girls exchanged awed glances before running after their boss.

"Quick, get in. We don't have much time," Ryou said, holding the door open for them. Retasu clambered into the back seat after Minto and Purin, and Shirogane shut the door, getting into the front with Keiichiro.

"Hold on to your seatbelts, girls. This could be a rough ride," Keiichiro warned. Then, before they had a chance to reply, the girls gave a sharp cry as the Lamborghini sped off down the street.

* * *

"Once again, Miss Fujiwara, your attendance today was much appreciated. The photos will be a huge success," Mr Yamamoto said in his thick, smooth voice.

"It was my pleasure," Zakuro replied pleasantly. "I'm afraid I'm on a tight schedule, so my assistant and I have to leave now."

"It was a pleasure meeting you both," he said smarmily, bowing graciously.

Just then the power went out and they were plunged into darkness.

"My! What is going on?" Mr Yamamoto cried. "Please excuse me ladies, I'll be back in a moment."

"What's happening?" Ichigo asked in a frightened voice, as her eyes grew used to the sudden darkness. The door to the cafeteria was just to their right.

"Come on, Ichigo. Let's find the exit," Zakuro replied. "Keep your senses keen. It could be the Cyniclons."

"No!" Ichigo gasped. "I thought they were done attacking Earth."

They walked down the dark corridor, keeping one hand to the wall so they wouldn't get lost. Ichigo saw the dressing room door as the passed, then the toilets.

"We must be nearing the front of the building," she said. "I remember this part of the corridor."

"Bet you don't remember this being part of the shoot," a voice very different to Zakuro's replied slyly. Ichigo whipped around.

"Kisshu!" she yelled dangerously. "Where's Zakuro?"

"I'm here, Ichigo. Don't worry," Zakuro said from behind her. A shadow appeared on her left.

"Aww… poor Koneko. I heard about your little split from Romeo. Bet that wasn't such a feel-good scene in your perfect little life," Kisshu's voice patronized her from the depths of the corridor.

"You know, the funny thing is, Kisshu, even though I'm not with Aoyama anymore, it hasn't changed the way I feel about you," Ichigo retorted.

"Oh?" the voice was closer now. Right in front of her, in fact. Ichigo backed up. "And how would that be?"

Ichigo gritted her teeth in anger. What was he trying to pull?

"I still hate you!" she yelled.

"Ichigo!" Zakuro's voice called, surprisingly further away than she'd thought. Ichigo gasped. How had he managed to separate them without her even realising?

Suddenly, before she could make another move, she felt someone's presence beside her. Whipping around, her heart racing with alarm, she was pinned against the wall and someone's lips closed against hers. Ichigo struggled and broke free.

"Oh, come now. You don't hate me _that _much, do you?" Kisshu mocked her. Ichigo screamed furiously.

"Ichigo! Are you okay?" Zakuro called. She could hear her footsteps echoing down the corridor.

"Kisshu! You're gonna pay! You will _not _get away with this!" Ichigo yelled in fury, wiping her mouth with her sleeve, utterly disgusted. She wanted to cry, but she held herself together.

"I think I just did," Kisshu's voice whispered in her ear.

"_Tha'ts it_!" Ichigo screamed. "Mew Mew Strawberry, Metamorphosis!"

Bright light lit up the corridor as Ichigo transformed into her battle form. Zakuro appeared at the scene.

"Mew Mew Zakuro, Metamorphosis!"

In an instant, both girls were standing side by side, facing the shadow that was the green-haired alien.

"Now _this_ is more like it. A little fun and games never hurt anyone, did it?" Kisshu said provocatively.

"Why are you here, Kisshu?" Ichigo demanded angrily.

"Now, be nice, my little Koneko-chan," Kisshu taunted teasingly. Rage built up inside her and she shook with fury.

"Don't call me that! Leave me alone!" she yelled.

"Well I'd like to, see, but then there'd be no one to test-run our latest Chimera Anima on, would there?" Kisshu replied simply. The lights flickered back on and the girls were dazzled with the sudden brightness of the hall. Pai and Taruto materialised beside Kisshu.

"That's all of them, Kisshu. Let's go," Pai reported to their mischievous leader.

"What do you mean, 'all of them'?" Zakuro demanded. Pai watched her with cold eyes.

"We couldn't battle you annoying children with other humans running around the vicinity, could we?" he said calmly.

"The studio workers!" Ichigo realised. "I wondered where they'd gone."

"Well, not all of them. We needed one special spirit for our latest Chimera Anima," Kisshu replied, holding out his hand. Inside it sat a small, pointy crystal, faintly glowing blue-green.

"No!" Ichigo yelled in disbelief. They _were _here to attack them.

"Rika!" Zakuro gasped. Lying a little further down the corridor, slumped against the wall, was the grey-faced makeup consultant. Her assistants were nowhere in sight.

"I'm sick of waiting. Let's start this thing! Hurry up, Kisshu!" Taruto whined, tugging Kisshu's sleeve.

"For once, my small friend, I have to agree with you. It's time to start the fun and games," Kisshu replied, smirking. He held his hands before him and summoned a Chimera in a ball of glowing, yellow light.

"Zakuro, that Chimera is different!" Ichigo gasped, watching it take form. It was the basic Chimera shape; round head, many stubby tentacles, except it had four long tentacles squiggling alongside the others. It wasn't the usual colour, either. Instead of the pallid, mint-blue transparency of its jelly-like skin, its membrane swirled constantly, a mix of orange and yellow.

"That's right, my little Koneko-chan," Kisshu replied. "And this time, it's what's _inside _that counts."

He laughed and held the Chimera in one hand, the spirit crystal in the other, high above his head, and yelled: "Fusion!"

Ichigo and Zakuro threw their hands over their faces as they were blinded by the light from the fusion, removing them when a huge roar echoed down the corridor. Ichigo gasped.

"What… is _that_!" she cried in horror. Zakuro's eyes widened. It was enormous. Bigger than enormous. It barely fit in the corridor, and even then, it was hunched over. It had four gigantic paws, a thick body, a short stubby tail and a big head, with beady black eyes, a wet black nose and a roaring mouth with dripping, jagged teeth. A set of small ears sprouted from the top of its head.

"Is that a… bear?" Ichigo asked sceptically.

"Sort of," Zakuro replied. For instead of shaggy brown fur, the grizzly-bear's skin was covered with thick, pointy, poisonous-looking spikes.

"See that, Mews? That's our latest creation. We did a bit of research and chose two animals you humans seem to fear. Then we fused them together and created a masterpiece," Pai explained sullenly.

"But… why isn't it human?" Ichigo couldn't help but ask.

"Well you see, we don't need a human _body _along with their spirit any more. All we need is the ability to create a human-thinking brain for our baby," Kisshu replied. "This one'll be _more _than a handful for the two of you. GO!"

The bear/porcupine roared again, spikes erecting dangerously. Ichigo squealed and the two girls immediately stepped backwards.

"Ichigo, we can't fight that thing in here. It's impossible. We need to get it outside," Zakuro said, thinking quickly.

"Right! Run!" Ichigo cried. The two girls turned and fled down the corridor, listening to their horrid enemy pounding behind them. The three aliens glanced at each before disappearing.

* * *

"Okay, now what?" Ichigo asked. "We're in the foyer. That thing isn't going to fit through the front door."

"The foyer's big enough to battle in… I guess," Zakuro said hesitantly. The hideous creature came barrelling around the corner into the large, high-roofed foyer.

"We don't have time to find out now!" Ichigo cried, standing her ground.

"Ichigo – climb those stairs over there. See if you can get above it," Zakuro commanded.

Ichigo nodded and ran towards the spiral staircase in the corner. The bear/porcupine roared and fired a series of quills at her, like javelins. She shrieked and leaped backwards. The quills were barring her from reaching the stairs.

Her tail flickered as she pondered her next move. The bear/porcupine loomed above her, growling menacingly. It stopped before the cage of quills and raised a paw above it, preparing to crush the quills, along with Ichigo.

"Strawberry Bell!" Ichigo summoned as it began to bring its paw down. The heart shaped weapon materialised in her hand, and she wasted no time thrusting it out in front of her. The bear/porcupine's paw suddenly halted, when it would have crushed the quills. The bell had created an orb-shaped barrier around Ichigo, causing the quills to disintegrate from the force. The bear/porcupine roared in frustration.

"Hold on, Ichigo!" Zakuro yelled, running towards the creature. "Zakuro Cross Whip!"

Her weapon materialised in her hand and she stopped before the Chimera Anima, which was now pounding its heaving paws against Ichigo's weakening barrier. The cat-girl's hands were shaking from the pressure of maintaining the barrier. Her face screwed up with concentration. Zakuro took a firm hold of the handle to her lasso and whipped it out.

"Reborn Zacross Pure!" she yelled, lashing at the Chimera Anima. To her dismay, the lasso didn't seem to affect the quills at all; they acted like a shield. However, the creature definitely noticed and turned away from Ichigo, firing poisonous quills towards Zakuro. Lashing her whip at them, she sliced them into pieces before they could reach her. The bear/porcupine roared and focused instead on her, prowling towards her.

Ichigo didn't waste a moment. The minute the Chimera Anima lost interest in her, she bolted towards the staircase, climbing it as quickly as she could.

"Ichigo, hurry!" Zakuro called from below. She lashed and lashed at the Chimera Anima, only making it advance towards her faster. It raised a paw to swat at her, but she jumped out of the way at the last minute, landing to its right. Zakuro suddenly realised something.

"Ichigo! The underside is softer! Its belly must be its weakness! We need to figure–"

Zakuro was cut off as a huge paw smashed into her side. She grunted as it crushed her against a wall.

"Zakuro!" Ichigo shrieked, standing at the top of the staircase. The Chimera Anima heard her and turned, roaring when it noticed her. It let go of the model, who crumpled down against the wall in her weakness, and blundered towards her.

"No! No! Stay back!" Ichigo cried, alarmed.

The bear/porcupine reached the staircase and raised itself up on two legs so its head was taller than the stairs. It roared, blasting Ichigo's hair out of her face and pinning her against a locked escape door. Then, without warning, it grabbed the staircase with both free paws and ripped it away from the wall. Ichigo screamed as she was thrown around, violently grabbing the handrail and clinging on for dear life.

The Chimera Anima threw the staircase into the front wall, knocking it out. Ichigo, the staircase, and half the wall to the studio tumbled out onto the street. Extracting her bruised body from the rubble, Ichigo ran further out onto the road, stumbling on her own feet as she backed away from the advancing creature.

It poked its gigantic head out through the hole it had created in the wall and clambered out easily, thundering down towards her. It roared again and Ichigo backed further away, out into the middle of the road. Thankfully, there were no cars around, as it was a back street. The Chimera Anima continued to advance, and Zakuro appeared at the hole in the wall, clutching her side with one arm, the other clinging to the wall for support.

The Chimera Anima reached the pavement and stopped, lowering itself on all fours. It watched Ichigo, trembling slightly as she stood before it, like a hawk watching prey. It growled and saliva dripped from its clenched jaws.

"Strawberry Bell!" Ichigo summoned it again, holding it tightly in her small hand. Suddenly, the bear/porcupine lunged, swiping at her with a huge paw. Ichigo fell backwards, landing on her backside as the paw swung over her head. The creature growled again, raising its paw to crush her.

Suddenly there was a screeching sound and they both turned their heads to see a red sports car careening down the deserted road towards them. It seemed somewhat familiar to Ichigo. The bear/porcupine turned back to her, merciless ferocity gleaming in its beady eyes.

* * *

Minto, Retasu and Purin gasped from the back of the Lamborghini. They had just turned the corner into the backstreet the studio was situated on to see part of a wall explode and a large collection of rubble come flying out. It crashed into a pile beside the studio, dust floating into the air. A huge head poked out of the hole in the wall.

"What is that?" Minto gasped.

"It's a bear!" Retasu cried. At the same time, Purin cried: "It's a porcupine, na no da!"

"It seems to be both," Keiichiro corrected them. "Which can only mean one thing…"

"_Ichigo_!" Minto yelled.

"Well, actually I was going to say 'Cyniclon'," Keiichiro said over his shoulder, in confusion.

"No – look!" Minto continued, pointing ahead. Keiichiro screeched to a stop and they all watched a pink figure extract itself from the rubble and struggle out onto the street in front of them.

"What's she doing, na no da?" Purin asked.

"Fighting it, I think," Retasu replied.

"By herself? Baka!" Ryou growled, fearing for her safety. Though to the others it looked like he was mad at her. Which, he sort of was, at the thought of her taking it on by herself.

"Where's Zakuro?" Retasu wondered.

"There!" Minto cried, pointing. "She looks hurt!"

"Girls, get out there and help them!" Ryou yelled, as the car raced towards the scene. The bear/porcupine thing was advancing on Ichigo, and it swiped a paw as they watched. Ichigo fell backwards and it narrowly missed her head. Ryou's heart nearly stopped. The Lamborghini screeched to a halt yet again and both Ichigo and the beast looked over at them.

"Go!" Ryou yelled, leaping out of the car and wrenching the door open for them. Within seconds the three Mews were standing on the street.

"Ichigo!" Retasu called. Ichigo turned her head, as did the beast. Ichigo smile weakly with relief.

"Thank God," she sighed, letting her body relax. Ryou slammed the car door shut and ran to the side of the three waitresses.

"Minto, go and help Zakuro. Retasu, Purin, stay here and battle whatever that thing is. We've got to give Ichigo time to get out of there! Now!" he explained. Minto nodded and the three girls looked at each other.

"Mew Mew Minto, Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Retasu, Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Purin, Metamorphosis!"

The three girls quickly transformed to their battle forms, and Minto immediately ran towards the studio.

"Let's go, na no da!" Purin cried eagerly. "Pudding Ring!"

She summoned her weapon, holding it in her hand. Then she bounded towards the bear/porcupine like a puppy to its owner. Suddenly, three figures materialised in the sky.

"What is this?" Kisshu asked, displeased. "Who invited these freaks?"

"We must defeat them, Kisshu," Pai said.

"Why join in when we can make the Chimera Anima do it?" Kisshu replied. "Let's hang back until things get drastic."

"Until things… Kisshu, if all goes to plan the Chimera Anima should _destroy_ the Mew Mews," Pai said, narrowing his eyes. "Unless…! Kisshu, you don't think the Chimera Anima will defeat them, do you?"

"Oh, come on. Seriously, Pai. Like one of those simple Chimera could defeat an entire team of mutant teenagers. No, my plans go deeper than that. If all goes to plan, we should have another plan unfolding before us. Let's just see what happens here, shall we?" Kisshu said, his yellow eyes twinkling deviously. Pai and Taruto exchanged bewildered glances and looked back to the scene below.

"Pudding Ring Inferno!" Purin cried, eager to battle. Yellow light exploded from her weapon and engulfed the Chimera Anima. It ceased to move and become immobile in a cylinder-shaped block of brown-orange jelly.

"I'll help, Purin!" Retasu cried, running forward. "Lettuce Castanets!"

Retasu approached the Chimera Anima, castanets ready. "Reborn Lettuce Rush!"

There was a roar as the bear/porcupine was released from the block and pelted with her fierce water attack.

* * *

"Zakuro, are you okay?" Minto asked anxiously, upon reaching her idol. Zakuro nodded.

"Just get your weapon ready," she groaned, still clutching her stomach. With her free hand, she let go of the wall and summoned her Zakuro Cross Whip. Minto nodded with determination, inspired. There was a series of squeals from the road below them and they turned to see Retasu and Purin knocked out of the way by a huge paw. They landed on the sidewalk and remained motionless.

"Come on, Minto," Zakuro said through clenched teeth, evidently striving through her pain. They ran down the stairs to the road, where the Chimera Anima turned to face them, teeth bared, quills pointed.

Ichigo dragged herself up from the street and looked into the sky, where the three aliens were watching. _That's strange… _she thought. _Why aren't they attacking us?_

"Ichigo! What are you doing?" Shirogane's voice called. Ichigo whipped around and immediately took action, running over to the motionless Retasu and Purin. Purin was the first to move, shoulders shaking as she attempted to get back up. Ichigo helped drag Retasu up to her feet.

"Come on, Retasu. You can do it," she encouraged her green-haired friend.

"I'm trying," Retasu whispered. Purin rubbed her arm, frowning angrily.

"That hurt, na no da! Come on, guys, let's beat this thing!" she said with determination.

"Right," Ichigo and Retasu nodded.

"Zakuro said its weakness was its stomach, so we need to get it on its back," Ichigo explained.

"Okay, let's go!" Retasu cried.

* * *

"Minto, be careful," Zakuro warned from behind the blue-haired mew, as the Chimera Anima advanced. Minto watched it apprehensively. Suddenly it lunged at her, paws threatening to slice her.

"Mint Arrows!" Minto cried, summoning her bow and arrow. "Reborn Mint Echo!"

She fired several glittering blue arrows at the horrible creature, stopping it in its tracks. The three other mews arrived by the two girls' side, ready for combat.

"Retasu!" Ichigo prompted.

"Reborn Lettuce Rush!" Retasu called, blasting the Chimera Anima with icy jets of water.

"Pudding Ring Inferno!" Purin added. Once again, the beast was encased in the jelly block.

"Ichigo!" they called. That was her cue. Ichigo ran down the stairs, preparing to finish the battle off. To her shock and horror, the brown block cracked and exploded. The Chimera Anima was free! She stumbled to stop, but it was too late.

"_No_!" Ryou roared.

"Ichigo!" Minto and Retasu gasped. Kisshu's eyes widened in horror.

Before she could get out of the way something hit her hard - a paw. Ichigo screamed; her entire body felt like it was ripping all over. She hit something – hard – and lay there, aching. A faint roar entered her consciousness. Ichigo's head thumped with pain.

"Come on, Ichigo!" Ryou muttered under his breath. Angry with vengeance for Ichigo, Minto prepared her weapon once more.

"Reborn Mint Echo!" she yelled. The Chimera Anima was weakening. It was panting, and looked tired. Encouraged, Retasu stepped in for one final attack.

"Reborn Lettuce–"

"No," a voice interrupted. They turned, astonished, to see Zakuro clutching her whip serenely. "I'll do it."

She walked out to the exhausted creature and stood beside the motionless Ichigo. Then, she attacked, lashing out at the Chimera Anima time and time again. Endless, fierce, relentless attacks. The Chimera Anima roared with pain with each stinging blow and she lashed at its feet.

Ichigo pressed the ground with her hands and rose to her knees, arms shaking with the pressure of holding her body up from the pavement. She took a deep breath and got to her feet, swaying dangerously, head reeling.

"Ready, Ichigo?" Zakuro asked. Without waiting for an answer, she lashed at the bear/porcupine's front paws and it reared up on its back legs.

"Now!" Zakuro yelled. Ichigo willed herself to be strong and opened her eyes. Her world was out of focus and a little foggy, but she could see the perfect moment to attack. She made her hand into a fist and clenched her teeth.

"Strawberry Bell!" she summoned. "Reborn Strawberry Check Surprise!"

Pink light exploded from the bell and engulfed the Chimera Anima. With one final roar of defeat, it shrank; Chimera mutant separating from human spirit. The light faded and both Ichigo and Zakuro collapsed, exhausted.

* * *

"Okay, Kisshu. The Chimera Anima has been defeated. What do we do now?" Pai asked presently. Kisshu smiled, watching Masha swallow the Chimera. His smile faded as he spotted Shirogane sprinting towards the girls.

"Pai, Taruto, keep Retasu, Minto and Purin busy for a moment," Kisshu instructed. "I don't think Zakuro and Ichigo will be joining the fun."

"Kisshu, what are you planning?" Pai asked suspiciously.

"There's something I have to attend to," Kisshu replied mischievously. Pai and Taruto exchanged a glance, and obediently teleported down the ground below.

"Oh, no," Retasu groaned.

"More fighting?" Minto asked incredulously.

"_Taru-Taru_!" Purin cried gleefully, tackling her friend.

"Ack, Purin, get off me!" Taruto croaked.

"Ready, Minto?" Retasu asked, surprisingly brave. Minto nodded and they prepared to take on Pai together.

* * *

Keiichiro followed Ryou out to where Ichigo and Zakuro were lying. They both tended to Zakuro.

"She's alright. Just exhausted I think," Ryou decided.

"I'm… I'm okay," Zakuro muttered, attempting to sit up, but Keiichiro pressed a hand firmly on her arm to hold her down.

"Don't try to restrain. You'll only make yourself more tired," he said.

"Keiichiro, get her into the car. We'll take a closer look when we get back to the café," Ryou instructed. Keiichiro nodded and (despite Zakuro's valiant protests) scooped her up and carried her back to the car. Zakuro's face burned with embarrassment.

Ryou turned back to the street and looked over at Ichigo. He took a deep breath and willed himself to remain calm. _She's okay, Ryou. Stop worrying. She's just fainted. She'll be fine when you give her some rest…_

With that thought in mind he walked towards her. Suddenly, Kisshu materialised next to the motionless cat girl, quickly snatching her up in his arms.

"Kisshu!" Ryou roared furiously, clenching his fists reflexively. "Leave her alone!"

"Sorry, hero-boy. Ichigo's mine," Kisshu hissed. "So stay out of it!"

Ryou gritted his teeth and aimed a punch at the alien's face. Unprepared, Kisshu gave a sharp cry and momentarily let go of Ichigo to avoid the fist. Shirogane quickly scooped his waitress up. As he did, she transformed back into her human form. Kisshu growled and tried to grab her back, but Ryou held her tightly.

"She's not a toy, Kisshu. You can't take her or own her. She's not a pet. Leave her alone!" he yelled. Something clattered to the ground and Kisshu quickly bent to pick it up. Ichigo's pendant sparkled in his hand.

"_Kisshu_!" Shirogane yelled in furious warning.

"Come and get it," Kisshu mocked patronisingly, disappearing into the air.

"No!" Ryou cried in anguish. Without her pendant, Ichigo couldn't transform. Ryou looked down at her, lying limply in his arms, and reluctantly ran back to the Lamborghini. Her brown eyes fluttered open as they reached the awaiting car.

"Sh-Shirogane…" she trailed off weakly.

"It's okay, Strawberry. Keiichiro's here as well. Just rest, alright?" Ryou said.

"… But…" Ichigo struggled to reply. Within seconds she was out again. Ryou carefully opened the back door to the car and laid her on the back seat.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in just a second," he whispered to her, inaudible to anyone else. He turned around and headed to the aid of the three other Mews. Keiichiro turned around in his seat and smiled knowingly at the unconscious cat-girl.

"If only you knew, Ichigo… Just how much he cares…" he said quietly. Zakuro sat in Ryou's seat beside him, pretending not to overhear.

"I can go, you know. There won't be enough room in the car for all of us. I've got a private Limousine… I'll take Minto and–"

"Just hold on a second, Zakuro. Rest for a moment before you take responsibility. It's okay to 'need' every now and then. You don't have to cater for every one else all the time," Keiichiro cut across gently.

Zakuro fell silent and stared down at her hands. Then she looked up into his face and sighed reluctantly. "Okay."

* * *

"Taruto, there is no sense us fighting a battle that wasn't ours to begin with," Pai said. Taruto had ceased struggling in Purin's grip, and let her hug him.

"Nya… I don't wanna fight today. Where's Kisshu?" he whined. Pai turned around, frowning in realisation.

"He's gone! Come, Taruto. Our presence here is no longer justified," he replied, disappearing.

"Lemme go, Purin. I gotta go back now," Taruto complained, pulling at her arms.

"Come visit me some day, na no da!" Purin chirruped sadly, letting go. Taruto sighed and teleported out of sight. Ryou approached the girls, who returned to their human forms.

"Well, I'm glad that's over," Minto sighed.

"It's not. It's only just begun," Ryou said in a low voice. "But we can't discuss it here. The authorities will be here soon. Let's go back to the café."

* * *

**To be continued...**


	4. Four

**4) ...**

Dedicated to Kish's Kittie

* * *

Ichigo stirred and awoke. Her head was groggy and stuffy. Her vision swam for a few fuzzy moments, before clearing up. She looked around her, aware she was not in her usual bed.

The room she was in was small and square-shaped. There was a window and a desk with a chair, but besides the scarce furniture it was bare and empty. A door to the left indicated another room off the one she was in. It was an oddly familiar room. Ichigo sensed she'd been in it before…

Suddenly it hit her and she sat bolt upright with a gasp. She was in Shirogane's bedroom! As if on cue, the door opened and her blonde-haired boss entered. Ichigo self consciously clutched the blankets around her.

"Oh… you're awake," he said, stating the obvious in his surprise.

"Yeah…" Ichigo replied. It was an awkward moment.

"Hey, Shirogane?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah?" he replied, pulling out the chair from under the desk and sitting down, facing her with his arms crossed.

"What time is it?"

"Nearly midday," he said. "The other girls are working downstairs."

"Um… what happened?" Ichigo asked. He sighed a little and looked at her.

"You passed out in the battle against the Cyniclons. We've done a detailed check of your health. There's nothing seriously wrong with you. You're just suffering major fatigue. You'll need to rest for a while before participating in any 'serious activity'. Guess that means you can't fight aliens for a few days," Ryou joked.

"Shirogane, I need to apologise," Ichigo began, keen to get it off her chest, but he cut her off.

"To be on the safe side, you'll probably need a few days off work as well."

He understood. Ichigo smiled weakly. A hint of a smile played around his lips. Ryou rose from the seat and crossed the room, stopping when he reached the doorway.

"Come downstairs when you're ready. We have something important we need to discuss with you and the girls," he said. Then he left.

Ichigo relaxed and let the blankets drop to her around her waist. Confusing thoughts thrashed around in her head.

Why was he being so nice to her? It was so unlike him. Her heart panged painfully and thudded sadly as Masaya drifted into her thoughts. His smiling face was vivid in her memory. _Why did you have to leave, Aoyama? Why did you leave me like this? _

Ichigo sighed and decided there was no use her sitting around moping for something that would never come back. She pushed the blankets back off her legs and stepped out of the bed, checking her stiff and sore muscles over before she headed downstairs. She was still wearing the pink dress Zakuro had given her. She wanted to head home and change.

In the kitchen she found the gang sitting around the table with hot cocoa - except Minto, who had her mandatory cup of fruit tea instead. Keiichiro and Ryou were standing; Keiichiro over the stove and Ryou with his back against the refrigerator. They both had serious, grim expressions on their faces. Ichigo's heart sank. Whatever they needed to discuss, it wasn't good.

Upon her entrance the other girls immediately broke into chatter.

"Ichigo-onee-chan!" Purin cried happily.

"How are you feeling?" Retasu asked.

"I'm fine," Ichigo replied, sinking into a chair beside Minto. On her right, Zakuro had her arm in a sling.

"Just a fracture," Zakuro explained, eager to avoid simpering discussion over her injury. "From when the Chimera Anima pinned me against the wall."

"Girls, we don't really have the time for chatter," Keiichiro broke their conversation gently, placing a tray of fresh cookies on the table in front of them.

Purin immediately grabbed one, with a cry of delight. "Cookies, na no da!"

"What's wrong, Akasaka-san?" Zakuro asked, straight to the point. He turned and faced them, his face pale and his eyes ringed from obvious lack of sleep. Ichigo looked over to Shirogane. He didn't look so good, either.

"Girls, a problem has arisen," Keiichiro declared eventually.

"As you all know, during the fight against the aliens, Ichigo fainted," Ryou took over. Ichigo blushed, embarrassed at her weakness. He continued. "What you don't know is that the Cyniclons stole her power pendant."

They all gasped in horror. Fear stabbed piercingly at Ichigo's heart.

"I…" she trailed off, speechless.

"It's not your fault, Ichigo. You couldn't help it. Kisshu stole it when you passed out. There was nothing any of us could do to prevent it from happening," Shirogane explained. "But, it means we have a bigger problem now than just stopping the aliens from attacking. We're now one Mew down, and we fear they have huge plans for that pendant."

"Like what?" Zakuro asked immediately.

"Well, we're not sure, exactly," Keiichiro admitted. "But our guess is that the aliens will conduct extensive research on the pendant to find out how it works. Then, they'll probably try to figure out a way to find each of your weaknesses."

Retasu and Minto groaned.

"That's bad, right, na no da?" Purin asked.

"Yes, Purin! It's bad!" Ichigo snapped, without meaning to. They all stared at her. Purin looked hurt.

"I-I'm sorry, Purin. I guess I'm a little shocked at the moment. I don't know what's wrong with me," Ichigo apologised. Purin smiled.

"That's okay, na no da!" she replied happily, easily forgiving. "It was a pretty dumb thing to say."

"Focus, girls. The next thing to do is find out what the Cyniclons are going to do with the pendant," Shirogane cut across them sternly. "And try to get it back. We're considerably weaker without Ichigo."

"What do you want us to do?" Minto asked at last. Their two bosses were silent for a while.

"While we try to locate the pendant, and hopefully discover what they're doing, we want you three–"

"Four," Zakuro corrected immediately.

"Zakuro-onee-chan, you can't fight. You're injured!" Minto protested. Zakuro turned a cool stare on her blue-haired fan.

"It's nothing. A small sprain like this isn't going to stop me from doing my part for the team," she said with finality. "There will be four."

"Five," Ichigo added grimly. "Even though I can't transform, I can still help."

"Actually, we'd prefer you to stay here, Ichigo. You can help us with the research we'll be doing in the lab," Keiichiro said. Ichigo nodded in reluctant agreement.

"You four girls are to try and get a verbal confession from the Cyniclons," Ryou explained. "We've already decided on a plan. You're to find your way to Memorial Park and go straight to the Peace Lake. There, you'll pretend you've found a large source of Mew Aqua, and, if all goes to plan, attract the aliens. They won't be able to detect it, so expect them not to believe you. We're counting on your abilities to bluff it."

"You mean, _lie_?" Retasu asked, shocked.

"This is no time to be virtuous, Midorikawa," Shirogane said sternly. "We know you've probably never lied in your life, but it's important you do today. The fate of humanity lies upon deception."

Retasu fell silent, obviously unhappy and disapproving of the situation.

"So where's this Memorial Park?" Minto asked. "I've never heard of it."

"It's a small site on the other side of Tokyo. Sort of a personal and very local dedication to the soldiers in the second world war," Keiichiro replied. "It's a nice place. You can't miss it."

"Plus, we'll show you before you go, of course. You four, go down to the laboratory with Keiichiro. He'll show you what to do," Ryou ordered. Zakuro, Minto, Retasu and Purin obediently rose from the table. Retasu squeezed Ichigo's shoulder as they followed Akasaka into the hall and down to the lab.

Shirogane sighed and removed the plate of cooled cookies from the table. Ichigo sat silently, drinking in everything she'd learned. She couldn't believe she'd brought this fate on everyone. It was her fault the pendant had been stolen. _Her_ weakness had led to their possible downfall - maybe even the invasion of the world!

A tear slipped down her cheek, unnoticed.

Ryou turned around presently. His expression changed from sternly anxious to horrified and shocked in a matter of seconds. He shifted uncomfortably, ill-prepared to deal with situations of the girly, emotional variety. Memories of the last time she was upset flitted warningly through his brain. He'd been an ass then. _Not today, _he vowed.

"Momomiya, what's wrong?" he blurted, sort of stiffly, sitting down next to her. She looked up in surprise.

"It's just… it's all too much," she replied at length, choosing her words carefully. "I mean, what if they invade and there's no one to stop them? It's my fault for passing out. That pendant could cost us the world, and … and I lost it!"

"Strawberry, you didn't _lose _it. It was stolen," Shirogane said gently.

"All the same, I let it _be_ stolen, didn't I?" she replied. "If I hadn't been so weak–"

"You weren't _weak, _Ichigo," he interrupted sharply. "You'd battled that monster to the point of exhaustion. Nobody could ask any more of you. You did your best. That's all that matters. And if we hadn't been there, they would have taken _you _and not the pendant. I'd much rather have you here without the pendant, than to have the pendant while you were being held captive by them."

"Why would they take me? What use am I for them?" Ichigo asked, another tear slipping down her cheek.

"I don't know," Shirogane replied truthfully. "Aside from Kisshu's personal pleasure, I can't think of any other reason."

They were silent for a moment, while she thought about what he was telling her. Without thinking, Ryou reached over and brushed the tear away from her cheek. She started, blushing in surprise. He ripped his hand away.

"S-sorry," he muttered quickly, standing from the chair and turning away from her, busying himself with cleaning the kitchen mess, so she couldn't see the red of his cheeks.

He couldn't believe he'd done that. _Stop being a fool, Shirogane, _he reprimanded himself. _You'll only make it worse for everyone. _

Ichigo sat rooted to the spot, unable to think of anything to do or say. What had just happened? _Why _was he being so uncharacteristically... un-Ryou-ish?

"Just… don't beat yourself up about it, okay? It was not your fault. And we're going to get that pendant back," Ryou said finally, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled in the room.

At the perfect moment, the rest trooped back in.

"Okay, Ryou. They know what to do and where to go. Should we send them now?" Keiichiro asked.

"Good idea," Ryou replied. "Be careful girls, and whatever you do, don't give away our cover."

"We'll be back soon," Zakuro said. "Hopefully with an update."

"Good luck!" Ichigo called, surprised that they'd failed to notice her tear-stained cheeks. She guessed that in her shock from the unexpected moment before, the tears had stopped falling.

"Shirogane, what do you want me to do?" she asked. He turned and looked at her, pretending the awkwardness of a few moments ago hadn't happened.

"I want you to help Keiichiro in the kitchen for a while. Then, later, I need you to come down to the lab. We need to do some tests on you. Research the characteristics of your DNA a bit more," he replied.

"Why?" Ichigo asked suspiciously.

"I'll explain later. When the others are back," he said simply, walking out. Keiichiro smiled at her.

"In due time, Ichigo. Don't push it. Now, I want you to test this creation of mine…"

He placed a small plate on the table in front of her, upon which sat an interesting cake creation. Ichigo beamed up at him. This she had no trouble with.

* * *

"Okay, Kisshu, now what?" Taruto asked. "We got the pendant, didn't we? What now, huh?"

"Patience my young friend. You'll see soon enough," Kisshu replied, fingering the pendant in his hand. It sparkled in the light of their craft. Pai entered the room, a bandage wrapped around his upper arm.

"What happened to _you_?" Kisshu asked, staring at his arm. Pai frowned.

"I was injured in that little battle you made us conduct," he replied. "May I ask, what was the purpose of stalling the Mews? What did you do while we held them off?"

"I stole this, of course," Kisshu replied, holding up the pendant for Pai to see.

He gasped. "How did you get that?"

"The cat-girl fainted. I simply snatched this when I had the chance. That lovesick Shirogane was too busy tending to her to pay closer attention," Kisshu explained with self-satisfaction. "Now they're down a Mew."

Pai narrowed his eyes. Something wasn't quite right, in his opinion.

"And what do you plan to do with the pendant, Kisshu?" he asked suspiciously. Kisshu smiled, yellow eyes gleaming.

"Oh, you'll see. But first we need to take a look at this little doodad," he replied, grinning.

* * *

"Public transport?"

Minto's voice was incredulous.

"How else are we going to get there, Minto?" Retasu asked. Minto sniffed haughtily.

"Sorry, but I do _not _do public transport. I'll call my limousine," she replied snootily, reaching for her cell phone. They were standing out on the main street, discussing (or rather arguing about) how to get to Memorial Park. The morning was turning out to be another clear blue, warm day. The girls' spirits had lifted a little, despite the ugly situation they were bound to face.

"Minto, haven't you caught a train before, na no da?" Purin asked, shocked. Minto gave her a scoffing look.

"As if a person of my stature would catch a train. I don't _need _to catch a train, Purin. I have _money. _People with money don't use public transport," she replied. It was an exasperating situation. Retasu didn't know what to do. Purin was looking dismayed. Zakuro seemed annoyed. Minto was being impossibly stuck up. She flipped open her cell phone and began dialling the number for her personal transportation.

"Minto, just this once can't you catch a train? It's less conspicuous," Retasu begged. "Plus, there's a station right around the corner. We could be at the park before your limousine even gets here!"

Minto held up a delicate hand to silence the green-haired girl. That was the final straw for Zakuro. She stepped forward and hit the cell phone out of Minto's hand. It clattered to the ground. They all stared at Zakuro.

Minto gave a cry of dismayed shock. "Zakuro-onee-chan! Why did you do that?"

"Minto, don't you think it's time you grew up? We're all equal in this team. No one is above anyone else. Everyone's say is valid and important. So pick up your cell phone, and let's go catch the train," Zakuro replied shortly, walking off. Minto stood, rooted to the spot, mouth bobbing open and closed like a goldfish's. Retasu sent her a frightened glance before hurrying after Zakuro.

"Are you okay, na no da?" Purin asked. Minto didn't reply. Pride wounded, she stooped and picked up her cell phone, face clouded with anger, and stalked up the road after the other Mews.

"Come on, Purin!" she snapped hotly over her shoulder. Purin smiled good naturedly and bounded joyously after the uppity girl.

* * *

"I've found it," Shirogane announced, entering the kitchen.

Ichigo was washing up the dishes, a white apron tied around her waist. She actually rather enjoyed the peace of the café when it was closed. She didn't mind doing little household chores here and there. It killed time constructively.

Keiichiro stood up from where he was stooped over the oven, carefully changing the temperature for his latest delicacy.

"You located the pendant?" he asked hopefully.

"It's on board their ship, like we thought. The ship's position is just outside the Earth's ionosphere," Ryou replied. Ichigo dropped the plate she was drying with a clatter.

"The _what_-a-sphere?" she asked.

"Ionosphere," Ryou repeated.

"I thought Earth had an _atmosphere_," Ichigo said, highly confused. He rolled his eyes.

"The atmosphere is divided into four layers, baka. Ionosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere and troposphere," Shirogane explained. "Ionosphere is the outermost."

"Okay… you lost me at 'four layers'. So they're just next to Earth?" Ichigo asked. He sighed.

"Yes. To put it _simply_," he agreed.

Confused, Ichigo turned back to the dishes. He was starting to act like he usually did – condescendingly. She frowned to herself.

Ryou felt an odd expression warp his features. It was replaced by his usual cool composure a nanosecond later. Keiichiro shut the oven door and walked out of the room. Without hesitating, Shirogane followed him. Ichigo left the plate she was washing in the sink, untied her apron and hastily trailed after them, dropping the white apron on the table as she passed.

"Right there," Shirogane was saying as she entered, pointing at a glowing red dot right next to the Earth.

"It shouldn't be difficult to construct a communication between the pendants," Keiichiro replied.

"What?" Ichigo asked, walking over. She tiled her head to look at the screen, unaware that Ryou was watching her.

"We're going to ensure that the aliens understand that we've 'found' a large, powerful, new source of Mew Aqua," Keiichiro explained. "By using the power pendant as a form of 'walkie-talkie'. We've drawn the conclusion that by 'accidentally' making communication with the Cyniclons, they'll overhear our plans."

"Thus they'll think we've actually found something valuable and rush to Earth. Then we can distract them and hopefully they'll spill _their _plans," Shirogane finished, fixing his gaze on the flashing red dot.

"Oh," Ichigo said, comprehending. "How are you going to make connection when they're in space?"

"There's a satellite near their ship; all we need to do is tap into their signal and relay it to the craft. It's been done before," Keiichiro explained.

"We need your help, Ichigo," Ryou said suddenly.

"Why?" Ichigo asked, instantly worried.

"We feel it would be more of a realistic act if there was one of the Mews there. It'll just be more professional," Keiichiro explained.

"We're running out of time. Make the connection," Ryou interrupted. He disappeared abruptly from the laboratory. Ichigo wondered what was wrong.

_He's being so weird!_

* * *

Out in the hall, Ryou sagged against the wall, exhaling a deep sigh.

_Damn it Shirogane! You're getting too attached. Soon you won't even be able to talk in her presence. Snap out of it and focus on the task at hand! _

He ran his hands through his blonde hair. _You're becoming a pathetic loser. Of all the places you'd imagined you'd end up, this was _not_ one of them._

His reprimanding thoughts battered his brain, until he knew he had to go back in, otherwise Keiichiro would get suspicious. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus.

But he knew, the minute he walked back into that room; the moment she looked at him, his focus would be lost again.

* * *

Ichigo glanced up as Ryou entered. He looked straight at the screen and walked over to the desk, where Keiichiro was fiddling with the buttons on the keyboard. Ichigo wished they would turn a light on. It was so dark in the laboratory; it felt sinister.

"Okay, we're establishing a connection," Keiichiro announced. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Ichigo and Ryou said simultaneously. For some reason, she felt nervous. What if it backfired and the Mews were put in danger?

"Stay calm, Strawberry. This isn't a hard task," Shirogane said, as if reading her thoughts. She looked over at him. His gaze hadn't even left the screen. How did he know she was quietly freaking out?

"Okay, in just a few seconds we should be able to hear some noise from the other end of the line," Keiichiro said. True to his word, several seconds later, everyday noises echoed around the lab. Life forms moving around. The whir of a computer, or two… or three. Or however many computers the aliens had. A random sniff.

"Okay," Shirogane said, starting their plan. "This is what we're gonna do."

A voice could be heard giving a sharp cry at the other end of the line.

"They've realised," Keiichiro muttered in an undertone. Ryou nodded silently.

"Ichigo, round up the other Mews. Tell them we've finally found the Mew Aqua. Then you're going to go and _get _it. Understand?"

"…Y-yes," Ichigo stammered. Ryou sent her a warning look. She forced herself to continue talking. "So… where is it? Is it nearby?"

"Good," Keiichiro whispered supportively.

"We've located a large source of it in a shallow lake called the Peace Lake in the Memorial Gardens. It shouldn't take too long for you girls to get there," Ryou replied, as if he was having a genuine conversation. He was a surprisingly good actor; he sounded completely natural.

"The Memorial Gardens?" Ichigo repeated, to make sure they heard clearly. Keiichiro nodded, urging her to continue. "Okay, I'll tell the others. When do you want us to go?"

"Now, Ichigo," Shirogane replied, and actually rolled his eyes. "When else? We have to get the Mew Aqua before the aliens find out about it. So get going already!"

With a sudden burst of inspiration, Ichigo rose from her seat and went to close the door, to make it sound like she was leaving.

"I sure hope they get there in time," Keiichiro said, playing his part.

"Let's just hope the Cyniclons don't beat them to it," Ryou replied grimly, then in an undertone, "Cut the connection."

Keiichirou obediently pressed a button. 'CONNECTION TERMINATED' appeared on the screen in yellow letters.

"That was excellent, Ichigo. Well done!" Keiichiro praised.

"It was a little rocky at the start, but not too bad," Shirogane agreed reluctantly. "Mind you, you nearly blew our cover."

Ichigo couldn't help being offended.

"Well it's not exactly an easy thing to do; lie straight out. Most people can't even lie when there's a valid reason. Guess you're just a confident liar, Shirogane!" she snapped, wrenching open the door and storming out.

One minute he was kind to her, the next he completely degraded her! She was in no mood for it.

Ichigo headed straight into the locker room and searched for the jacket she'd left in there from the previous shift. Keiichiro's face appeared in the doorway.

"Ichigo, Ryou doesn't mean to be so offensive," he said. "He's a sharp person. Sometimes you need to forgive his snappish unpleasantness. I'm afraid we can't let you leave just yet; Ryou needs to examine your DNA first."

"Why!" Ichigo cried. "Why am I doing everything without even having a reason?"

"There's a reason for it, Ichigo. But we'd rather explain it when the others get back. It'll be a lot easier, then," Keiichirou replied gently.

"I don't understand him sometimes, Akasaka-san. He's the most confusing boss ever," Ichigo sighed irritably, hanging her jacket back up. Keiichiro led her back into the kitchens.

"I'll admit, working with him can be quite stressful sometimes. But he means well, really," he said, smiling kindly. Her anger ebbed away.

"Okay… what do you want me to do?" Ichigo asked reluctantly.

"It's nothing much. We'll just need a quick blood test. Then Ryou'll examine your joints and flexibility, then your blood type and compatibility when the results of the test come back," Keiichiro explained.

"Sure, whatever. As long as it won't hurt," Ichigo replied.

He smiled. "Trust me, it won't be very painful."

* * *

"Kisshu!" Taruto called, running through the technological hallway of the ship. "_Kisshu_!"

"Oh what _is _it, Taruto?" Kisshu yawned, appearing in a doorway.

"Kisshu! The Mews have found more Mew Aqua! More! A lot!" Taruto exclaimed. Kisshu raised one eyebrow sceptically.

"I think you've been dreaming again, Taruto," he said simply. "I'm tired. Go play, or something."

"Kisshu, he's not lying," Pai said, walking down the hallway with incredible posture.

"What are you talking about?" Kisshu asked. "Is this some sort of whacked conspiracy?"

"The Mews are currently on their way to a place called the Memorial Gardens. We overheard an accidental conversation between that Shirogane boy and the cat Mew," Pai explained. "A lake called the Peace Lake is hiding a large source of a new kind of Mew Aqua. We should go before they get there."

"Well, is that so? Those Mews have really blundered this time. Come on, then. Let's _get _that Mew Aqua and use its powers for ourselves," Kisshu smiled deviously. The three of them transported, Earth-bound.

* * *

Minto sat on the train with a stony face, not speaking to any of her companions. Retasu was listening to Purin babble away happily about the holiday she had had to abandon for the urgency of their current situation. Zakuro stared wistfully out the window at the buildings and houses flashing past, a hat pulled down over her eyes, her shining hair tucked out of sight. Minto knew she was keeping a low profile so no one on the train would recognise her.

She was burning inside. Everything she did, she did wrong. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be as popular as Ichigo, as sweet as Retasu, as lovable as Purin or as admired as Zakuro. She was just… Minto. The last one in their interesting, characteristic, alien butt-kicking clan. The little one on the sideline, with cute hair but no real contribution. She didn't stand out. Though, she'd never admit her jealousy to the other Mews. How shameful.

And Zakuro… the person she admired the most in the entire world… she turned on her, like she was a pain. Minto suddenly had the feeling that she was only a burden to the other girls. _Do they even need me? s_he wondered glumly. _It seems like they can cope pretty well by themselves._

The train began to slow down as it rapidly approached the platform. A mechanical voice rang out clearly in their clean, neat carriage, announcing the name of the station.

"This is our stop," Zakuro said flatly, as the train pulled up, squealing a little as it came to a definite halt. Retasu and Purin were the first off the train when the doors slid open. Minto reluctantly followed Zakuro onto the busy platform.

"Minto, I know you're mad," Zakuro said suddenly. They walked side by side, keeping an eye on Retasu's green hair in the distance as they made their way out onto the street.

"I'm not mad," Minto lied coolly, staring ahead.

"Yes you are. But aim your anger towards the aliens, because it's them you should be angry at. Not us. We're your team mates. We're supposed to work together. Back there, you were acting like you were above everyone else. You're not, Minto. Even though you're wealthier than the others, that doesn't make you a better-off person. Just be yourself around us; that's all anyone ever wants or expects. We like the 'you' we know," Zakuro said.

Minto glanced at her with wide, brown eyes. Zakuro's face was knowing and forgiving. She sent her a rare smile.

"Hey, come on, na no da! We don't have time for strolls!" Purin called enthusiastically, waving her arms above her head.

"Ugh. She's so immature," Minto said distastefully.

"She's still a child," Zakuro replied. It was neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Simply a statement. Very fair. Minto looked at her as she walked ahead. _If only I could be as fabulous as her… she's so perfect…_

With a sigh, Minto increased her pace, catching up with the others.

* * *

"Is this it?" Retasu asked with hesitation, staring up at a sign above the gate. It read: 'Memorial Park – A Dedication to the Soldiers Who Bravely Fought for Our Country.'

"Looks like it," Minto replied, peering behind the gate. "It must be – there's water down there."

"Come on," Zakuro said, pushing open the gate and walking in. They walked silently through the park, observing their surroundings. The path they traversed was plain sandy stone, lined on either side by evenly planted oak trees; beneath which were plaques and tombstones.

"This is creepy, na no da," Purin said presently.

"Imagine this place at night time," Minto replied. "With all the ghosts of the deceased soldiers."

"Oh, _don't,_ Minto!" Retasu begged fearfully, clasping hands with Purin. The monkey-Mew laughed, eyes sparkling, and declared, "I'm not afraid of any spooky old ghost, na no da!"

"Be respectful, guys," Zakuro said over her shoulder. She continued walking, leading the small group down to the lake. They stopped beside it, glancing around.

"Well, it seems the aliens don't know about the Mew Aqua, or they'd be here," Retasu commented, her eyes lingering on the glittering blue-green water. She turned to the others. "Wouldn't they?"

"Please don't tell me this has all been a waste of time," Minto said, crossing her arms.

"What do we do now, na no da?" Purin asked, looking up at Zakuro. She stared out across the lake, and for a moment the others thought the older girl hadn't heard her. Then she spoke.

"Just be patient."

As if on cue, Retasu's power pendant began flashing, and Keiichiro's urgent voice blared out from it.

"Girls, get ready. They're coming."

* * *

**To be continued...**


	5. Five

**5) ...**

Dedicated to Gingeh

* * *

"Shirogane-san?" Ichigo meekly poked her head around the door to the laboratory, dreading his anger at her for yelling at him and storming out. He was sitting with his back to her, watching something on the computer screen.

"Come in, Momomiya," he said coldly, without turning around. She edged inside and quietly closed the door behind her. Then she stood where she was, waiting for his wrath of reprimanding to land on her. After several seconds' silence had lapsed, Ryou turned around to look at her.

"Well, come on," he said impatiently, wondering why she was still standing by the door. Ichigo walked timidly towards him. As she grew closer he stood up and walked towards her, meeting her in the middle of the room. She was silent, staring at the floor, unable to think of anything to say. Suddenly, she felt something lightly tap against the top of her head, and she looked up in surprise. Shirogane was holding a measuring tape from the floor to her head, as though it was the most normal thing to do.

"W-what are you doing?" Ichigo asked nervously.

"Figuring out how tall you are," Ryou replied lightly. "What does it look like?"

"Oh… why?" she asked. He didn't reply, rolling up the tape and walking away towards the computers, where he tapped something on the keyboard. Leaving the tape rolled up on the desk, he walked over to the corner of the room.

"Over here," he said, by way of asking her to join him. Ichigo obediently followed him. In the corner of the room she found a small platform, above which was a black screen. Ryou was standing beside it.

"What's that?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Stand on the platform," he commanded instead. Puzzled, but obliging, she stepped up onto it. Shirogane rolled his eyes.

"Take your shoes off, baka!" he snapped, though not entirely with irritation. A hint of amusement laced his voice. She slipped her shoes off and gently kicked them onto the floor.

"Better?" she asked pointedly.

"It'll do, I guess," Ryou replied absently, fiddling with a pad of buttons on the wall.

"How do you come up with all this stuff, Shirogane?" Ichigo suddenly asked, looking around the room at all his strange inventions. He didn't even bother looking up.

"Guess it's part of the whole genius thing," he replied. She gave a scoffing laugh.

"Yeah, cos' you're so smart and all," she said sarcastically. He shot her an amused look. She blushed faintly under his sharp, icy gaze. Sometimes it felt like he could see right through her.

"Was that sarcasm I heard?"

"Uh… no! Of course not! You're smart. Smarter than me. But I don't think that's hard… I'm pretty dumb, I mean I got a C in math last term, and I think I'm failing biology… and I'm babbling aren't I? I'll stop talking now," Ichigo was talking a tad too fast, shoving a large amount of words into once sentence. Ryou was still fiddling with the buttons.

"You can talk all you want," he said. "I don't mind. And you're not dumb, Ichigo. Now, don't move for a second."

They fell silent. Did that include not moving her mouth?

"… Can I still talk?" Ichigo asked awkwardly.

He gave a single, bark-like laugh. "You really can't keep your mouth shut, can you?"

"I might be bad at math but I'm good at talking," Ichigo chattered, beaming. The little voice in her head began a reprimanding rant. _A moment ago you were so nervous you couldn't walk into the room. What's with you? Why are you so moody? And… hang on a second – he didn't tell you off for storming out! Something's definitely not right…_

Ichigo's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a green number on the screen above her head. She tilted her head to look at it. Forty-three. What did that have to do with anything? _Wait a second, _she thought suspiciously. _Isn't that–?_

"Hmm, so even though you seem a lot heavier than you look, you actually aren't," Ryou said presently, answering her question. Ichigo squealed.

"What does my weight have to do with anything?" she yelped, instantly embarrassed. He smirked.

"Height to weight ratio."

"But that's not a fair test," Ichigo whined. "My clothes count for at least a kilo."

She realised what she'd just said and what it implied. They both blushed; Ryou quickly turning away to hide it. The room was so dark, it was impossible to see anyway.

"Um, but I'm not taking my clothes off, so that doesn't matter, does it?" Ichigo laughed nervously. "Just forget I said that!"

She quickly hopped off the scales and pulled her shoes back on. Ryou still had his back to her; his stomach squirming and his heart thudding like a drum. _Shirogane! Don't you DARE imagine her without her clothes on! _he roared at himself. _For her sake - and yours by extension - keep your mind under control!_

"A-am I done? Can I go now?" Ichigo asked hopefully, dying to get out of the laboratory, and go somewhere where she could clear her head and die quietly of embarrassment.

"Not quite," he replied. Her heart sank. "You just need to have the blood test done now. Then you can go."

Without another word he walked back to the computer and tapped on the keyboard. Ichigo glared up at the luminous green number, and hesitantly followed her blonde-haired boss. When she reached the computers he was fiddling around in a cupboard against the wall, presumably getting all the equipment ready for the blood test.

Ichigo paled. She'd never been very good with needles. In fact, she wasn't very good with pain in general. She was sort of afraid of it. She subconsciously began trembling – not that she noticed. Her mind had become numb with apprehension.

Ryou appeared beside her. His voice floated into her head, penetrating her anxiety.

"This might hurt a little, but it'll be a quick test. No huge drama. It'll only take a few minutes all up," he was explaining. He wrapped a thick, rubbery piece of material around her upper arm. Attached to it was a tube, on the end of which was connected a small hand pump. He took the hand pump in his hand and presently realised she was shaking. He automatically dropped it.

"Momomiya, are you okay?" he asked, eyebrows quirking with frowning concern.

"Y-yeah. Of course!" she replied, over-happy, and clearly not. He watched her pale face for a moment; it was bordering on pallid grey. Ryou sighed and removed the pressurizer from her arm. She looked at him in confusion.

"W-what are you doing? Don't you need to do the test?" she asked, her voice broken with trembling. He put the equipment aside.

"Ichigo, if it troubles you that much it's not worth doing it," he said gently. "I'm not going to do the test if you're that afraid of needles."

"No! Don't be stupid. You need to do the test – so do it. I'm not afraid of needles, I just… I don't like them. But do the test!" Ichigo protested hastily. He stood silently in front of her for several seconds, wondering what to do. Her brown eyes darted to the needle sitting patiently on the desk, then nervously away into the corner. In one swift motion, Ryou took her hand in his.

"You're freezing!" he blurted. "Ichigo, I can't do the test. That's ridiculous. We'll find another way to–"

"Shirogane! Do the test!" Ichigo snapped between gritted teeth, unimpressed. "Just get it over and done with!"

She didn't even seem to realise he was holding her hand. Tempted to not let go, Ryou gently dropped it and prepared the pressurizer once more. _Just don't think about the fact that she's terrified. She told you to do the test. Just do it. Then… give her some cake or something. At least if she complains that it hurt you can support yourself. She _did_ tell you to do it. _

Determined to make the test as quick and painless as possible, Ryou pressed the hand pump a few times, filling the material with air, which put pressure on her arm and caused the blood flow to increase.

"Look away," he warned her, picking up the needle. He didn't even need to tell her. She had her free hand covering her eyes, and turned her head towards the opposite wall, scrunching her eyes shut tight.

"Ready?" Ryou asked, not wanting to do what he was about to do. Ichigo didn't even bother replying. _It'll all be over soon. Just count until it's done. Then you can go. Just a few minutes of pain and it's all done. Stay calm, Ichigo, _she thought, trying to stop herself from shaking.

Then she felt the needle pierce her skin, and her mind went into panic-hyperventilation-mode. Attempting steady, deep breaths, she began counting in her head. _One… two… three… _Her arm was aching. Oh, it stung. She refrained from clenching her fist. She clenched her teeth instead. But she was growing light-headed. She could tell.

_Oh, no! Ichigo, don't! Stay calm! s_he begged herself.

With a single, unbearable sear of pain from the needle, her brain went into overdrive and she blacked out instantly; quicker than the click of fingers. With a sharp curse, Ryou quickly grabbed her before she hit the floor. Acting mainly on impulse, he ripped the pressurizer off her arm and placed the full needle in the sterilizing dish. Then, grunting, he hoisted her up in his arms and carried her from the laboratory.

* * *

"There they are!" Retasu gasped. The three aliens had just transported, appearing in the sky above the lake, using their mysterious powers to hover.

"Hello, my dear Mews," Kisshu called. "Where's that annoying leader of yours?"

"She's too busy to waste her time on walkovers like you," Minto replied snootily. Kisshu's face reddened angrily.

"And who are you to talk?" he snapped.

"Control yourself, Kisshu. We are not here for childish arguments," Pai said, unimpressed. Kisshu glowered at the blue-haired Mew. She glared in return. Purin waved happily at Taruto, who rolled his eyes before reluctantly waving back.

"What are you freaks doing here?" Zakuro asked, getting down to business. Pai sent her a cool stare, which she held steadily with her own cold, confident gaze. _Could he possibly know that this is all a bluff? _Zakuro wondered. _He's smart enough…_

"A mere technical glitch may have just cost you your planet, human," Pai replied. "You should really update your technology."

"What do you mean?" Retasu stammered, playing along. Zakuro sent her an encouraging smile, but she felt terrible. Her insides were squirming. She'd only told one little lie and already she felt like she was going to be arrested.

"You guys don't know?" Taruto said, shocked.

"Know what? We're just paying our brave soldiers some respect," Minto replied lightly.

"You disturbed our minute's silence, na no da!" Purin added, perhaps a little too happily. Minto and Zakuro glanced at her. Pai raised one long eyebrow.

"Well, you don't seem too _disturbed _by it," Kisshu said pointedly. Purin couldn't keep the enthusiastic grin off her face.

"Cut to the chase and tell us why you're here," Zakuro demanded coldly. Kisshu narrowed his eyes.

"We overheard a little conversation between that perky cat-girl, Ichigo, and your pathetic loser boss, which uncovered your big plans for the Mew Aqua sitting at the bottom of this here lake," Kisshu said, smiling sinisterly. "So we thought we'd pay a visit and snag the Aqua for ourselves."

"Oh, really?" Zakuro replied. "What are you planning to do with it? And what makes you think you're going to get it? There are four of us and three of you. You're outnumbered."

"And I can't see any Chimera anywhere," Minto added, looking around in disbelief. "Did you forget to pack them?"

Kisshu scowled, unimpressed at her mocking sarcasm.

"We don't need Chimera to defeat you pathetic Mews. Let's just say the Mew Aqua will be a great addition to our latest plan. You're going to wish you'd never let the silly kitten lose that pendant," he smirked. Zakuro and Minto narrowed their eyes.

"No matter what you do to the pendant, we'll always be stronger than you," Minto declared confidently. "So, bring it on!"

"You're really starting to twitter my nerves," Kisshu growled at her. She smiled innocently, enraging him further.

"Pai, Taruto, I think you can handle them. Meanwhile, I've got some Mew Aqua to steal," he said. The three of them disappeared. Taruto and Pai reappeared on the ground before the Mews.

"Come on, guys!" Minto cried. "Time to beat these losers! Mew Mew Minto, Metamorphosis!"

"Right," the others agreed, each transforming to their battle form.

"This should be a piece of cake," Taruto said eagerly. Within several seconds the four Mews had been split into pairs. Taruto faced off against Retasu and Purin. Zakuro and Minto stood side by side, both glaring at Pai.

"What happened to your arm?" Pai asked delicately, indicating that it would be a weak point in battle. Zakuro frowned.

"Your delightful Chimera Anima decided to break it," Minto snapped. It was his turn to frown.

"Do not place the blame on me for something of Kisshu's creation," he said coldly. "We are very different in opinion."

"Yet identical in attitude," Minto shot back, hands on hips. "Why don't you just leave Earth alone for once?"

"That's enough!" Pai snapped, displaying a rare flash of anger. "Kisshu and I are not at all similar."

"I _beg_ to differ," Minto replied, her purring voice dripping with sarcasm.

Zakuro merely stared coldly at the tall alien. _For someone so outwardly cold, he shows frustration quickly. It wouldn't take long to aggravate him to fury, _she thought wistfully. Pai reached for his weapon; the decorated fan.

"I see I'm going to have to convince you otherwise," he said coolly, glaring at Minto. "Aerial Tempest!"

With a sharp cry, Minto was blasted backwards by the windy gust. She threw her hands over her face to protect it.

"Well, if you want to play it that way," she retaliated. "Mint Arrows!"

Summoning her elegant bow and arrow, she pulled the string taught, taking aim.

"Reborn Mint Echo!" she cried, firing. The arrow sailed towards Pai, but at the moment of impact, he disappeared, reappearing behind her. He knocked her aside effortlessly with one arm. Minto gave a strangled gasp and cringed, lying in a heap on the ground. Zakuro turned to face him, anger searing in her chest.

"Just because I'm injured doesn't mean I won't fight you," she stated. She held out her Zakruo Cross whip and lashed at him. Pai held up his fan, deflecting the attack. She jumped back.

"Tempest Strike!"

With a growl, Zakuro lashed at the ground, propelling herself into the air to avoid his attack. From her position in the sky, she lashed at him again, whipping the side of his face. She landed on two feet as he raised a hand to his cheek in shock, steely eyes wide.

* * *

"Do we have to fight?" Retasu begged Purin and Taruto. "I'm a pacifist…"

Purin jumped at Taruto and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Purin-chan, you… let go, Purin – I _can't breathe_!" Taruto choked. She giggled happily.

"Don't make me fight you, Purin!" Taruto growled, tugging vainly at her iron-grip.

"You're supposed to be anyway, na no da!" Purin replied cheerfully into his ear. He frowned.

Suddenly, she yelped and retreated as a fist was propelled into her stomach. She landed on her feet, hands wrapped around her bruised waist, and glared at Taruto. He crossed his arms.

"Okay, Taru-Taru. You want to fight?" Purin snapped, hurt eyes filled with hot tears. She summoned her weapon. "Pudding Ring Inferno!"

Taruto quickly jumped out of the way to avoid her attack and leapt forward, his main aim to land a kick in the side. Purin jumped up like a spring and tackled the alien with her full body weight as he attempted to regain his balance from his off-kick. He gasped, winded, as he was pummelled into the ground. The two promptly began brawling.

"Oh, this is such a waste of breath. Such a pointless reason to fight," Retasu sighed, watching the battles from afar. She dropped onto a painted bench, resting her chin sadly in her hands.

* * *

Kisshu looked around him. He was at the bottom of the lake, searching for the Mew Aqua. His senses weren't revealing any of the rare, powerful substance, and he was fast starting to doubt its existence. He stared around and focused on honing his senses so they could detect the presence of the Aqua. His yellow eyes snapped open, flashing angrily.

_There's nothing here._

* * *

"Ryou, is she okay?" Keiichiro asked, poking his head around the door to Shirogane's room. Ichigo was back in Ryou's bed; still out cold. She'd stirred once or twice, though, so Ryou (who was sitting at the desk with a coffee) was confident she was going to regain consciousness soon.

"She has a needle phobia," Ryou explained to his friend. "She passed out during the blood test."

"Why did you do the test then, Ryou?" Keiichiro exclaimed, his voice reprimanding.

"Hey – she told me to do it. I offered not to," Ryou quickly defended himself. _I'm always the bad guy. _

Keiichiro sighed. "Do you want me to get anything?"

"Yes, bring up a strong, sweet raspberry soda and a slice of strawberry cheesecake," Ryou replied.

He didn't even need to think twice about what her favourite pastry was. She ate it often at the café. He'd seen her eyes light up when Keiichiro offered her a piece at closing time. It was one of the reasons he was so taken with her; she was ridiculously excited by the smallest joys in life. She seemed to think hte important things to embrace were the simplest pleasures. He'd never been able to understand simple pleasures; he'd always thought the things one really needed and appreciated were big. Wealth, fame, success... He now knew that they were things that mattered to insensitive people. It troubled him, for it made him wonder if that made _him_ insensitive, too. She'd taught him the difference in real appreciation and importance, and petty wants that were impossible to achieve.

He was so lost in his train of thought that he didn't even realise Keiichiro had kept talking.

"… the energy to get up again. I didn't know you paid so much attention to what she ate. That's impressive, Ryou... Ryou? Ryou! Are you even listening to me?"

"Sorry. I got caught in a daze," Ryou replied, snapping back to reality. His friend sent him a knowing look.

"I'll bet you did," he said, a twinkle in his eye. Ryou glanced away.

"Just bring up the food. _Please_," he begged, eager to avoid uncomfortable questions.

Keiichiro sighed. "I'll be back soon." Then he was gone.

Shirogane stared at Ichigo's small form, sleeping peacefully under his blankets. She was so petite. And delicate. Different to Minto, who was so fragile it seemed she could _break_. She was just… delicate. His eyes lingered on the mark from the injection, and they clouded over. He felt bad for causing her pain, even though it was voluntary. She'd been out nearly an hour. In all that time he hadn't moved from his chair. He wanted to make sure someone was there… _he_ was there… when she woke up.

As if on cue, Ichigo's brilliant, chocolate brown eyes fluttered and opened slowly as she stirred. She looked straight at him – the first place she looked was right in his eyes. His heart lifted. She stirred, her gaze sharpening as she focused.

"Don't sit up. You'll just get dizzy again," Ryou said. Ichigo reluctantly relaxed again.

"I passed out again, didn't I?" she asked in a dull voice.

"It was the needle," he explained. She looked angry, though at what he couldn't comprehend. He hoped it wasn't him, but was expecting otherwise.

"Do you want to go and take another test?" Ichigo asked. His eyes widened.

"Are you insane? Of course not!" he replied. "There was enough blood there from the first test that we don't need to take another one."

"Can I get up now?" Ichigo asked.

"No," Ryou said flatly. "Keiichiro's bringing up some food for you. You need some sugar before you get up. If you get up now you'll probably just faint again."

"You make me sound fragile. Like all I ever do is faint," Ichigo muttered darkly. "Though, I suppose I do."

"No, no! I didn't mean it like that, Strawberry," Ryou apologised quickly.

"Shirogane, I'm sorry," she said suddenly.

He was very rapidly confused. "Why?"

"For before. When I yelled at you. I'm sorry."

"Baka – don't apologise. I should apologise. I was hard on you," he said gruffly.

"You're always hard on me. It wasn't anything new. I just... overreacted."

He fell silent, thinking about her last comment. And how true it was. In comparison to the other Mews he _was _much tougher on her. He took a deep internal breath and prepared himself for possibly the biggest apology of his life.

Keiichiro appeared in the doorway, a tray in his hands. Ryou could have hit him. Talk about bad timing! Judging by the expression on Keiichiro's face, upon seeing Ryou's, he knew it as well.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting," he said, by way of secret apology to Shirogane.

"You're not interrupting anything," Ichigo replied happily, beaming. He sent her a small smile and set the tray down on the bedside table. Ryou's heart sparked when he watched her eyes light up at the sight of the cheesecake.

"Thanks, Akasaka-san! How did you know it was my favourite?"

"Oh, it wasn't me - it was Ryou. He told me to get all this ready. Thank him," Keiichiro laughed. Ryou smiled at his friend; it was his way of rectifying the situation. He studiously avoided Ichigo's eyes, knowing she was looking at him incredulously.

"Now, I'm quite busy today, so I can't stay and chat," Keiichiro said lightly. "I'll leave you to it. Enjoy."

"Uh… thanks," Ichigo replied. He smiled and looked at Ryou, jerking his head at the cat-girl. _Tell her! _it meant. Shirogane pretended not to notice. The room fell silent after he left.

"How did you know it was my favourite?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Just a random guess," he lied, refusing to meet her eyes.

He was afraid the truth would come out if he did.

* * *

"Pai! Taruto! Stop fighting!"

The entire commotion on the ground came to an abrupt halt. Kisshu had teleported and was hovering above them, a furious expression fixed upon his pixie-like face.

"He knows," Retasu realised in horror.

"That's right, green girl," Kisshu replied, seething. "There's no Mew Aqua here. So save your breath."

"What are you talking about, Kisshu?" Pai demanded. "They may be annoying, but they aren't liars. You mustn't be looking hard enough."

"No. He's telling the truth."

Everyone turned to look at Zakuro. Pai looked like he'd just watched something spontaneously combust. Purin hit Taruto one final time before climbing off him and standing up, dusting herself off.

"It was all a lie. There is no Mew Aqua. It was a set up," Zakuro explained calmly.

"Why?" Pai demanded angrily. "What is the use? I see no purpose in distracting us."

"True. There was no real reason," Zakuro lied.

"So this whole thing has been a waste of time?" Taruto asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Sorry," Minto confirmed their horror, with a tiny smirk.

"Something's fishy about this whole little shebang. And it's not the porpoise-Mew," Kisshu said, eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Be warned, pathetic Mew Mews: next time you see us will be your last. You cannot possibly defeat our next creation. Let's just say it's an upgrade of a pre-existing power. Or, rather, _powers_."

Pai and Taruto sent the girls twin annoyed, dirty looks before teleporting, bound for their ship. Kisshu laughed once, before joining his comrades.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Minto asked skeptically.

"I don't know," Retasu replied. "But I don't think it's good."

"It's not. Come on – let's get back so we can talk to Akasaka and Shirogane," Zakuro said, already beginning to walk. One by one they returned to their normal forms and followed the tall girl out of the Memorial Park, their heads filled with confusion.

* * *

"You're sure that's what they said?" Ryou asked. The five Mews and their two bosses were once again sitting around the kitchen table.

"Positive," Minto replied. She sipped her tea. Ryou and Keiichiru glanced at each other. The whole room was quiet. Ichigo cupped her mug of cocoa in her hands. It was comfortingly warm against her cold fingers. She still hadn't fully recovered from her faint. Ryou shot her a furtive glance.

"How's your arm?" Keiichiro asked Zakuro presently, looking down at the cast. She shrugged.

"No different."

"That's good, I guess."

"Shirogane-san?" Retasu asked timidly. He looked up at her and she blushed under his steady gaze.

"What is it, Midorikawa?" he asked.

"What's going to happen now?" Retasu questioned him quietly, almost dreading the answer.

Ryou sighed. "Well, we'll have to be careful, whatever we do." He exchanged a meaningful look with Keiichiro, who nodded once. Ichigo looked from one to the other with worry. What was going on? What were they not telling them? Foreboding simmered a warning in the pit of her stomach.

"Girls, I think it's time we be open with you. There's no use hiding our thoughts now that everyone's in danger," Ryou began, staring out the window. Outside, the afternoon sun began to slowly die, as the light blue sky darkened in the late afternoon. Ichigo stiffened instinctively. Whatever was coming, it was bad. Worse than bad. He was about to drop a bombshell on them.

"Go on, Shirogane," Zakuro said. They all watched his face attentively. Even Purin was completely silent.

"We fear the aliens have got big plans for that pendant. Huge, in fact. We hope we're not right in thinking it, but it seems an obvious plan… They're going to duplicate it."

Later, Ryou mused that any reaction from the girls - any shriek or gasp or cry - would have been better than the deathly silence that met that statement. It felt like all hope had been sucked from them completely.

"What does that mean?" Minto asked finally. Keiichiro watched the scene serenely. He didn't know how the girls would cope with what they were about to learn.

"Well, think for a second. What does the power pendant do?" Ryou asked.

"Makes us transform, na no da!" Purin offered, a little confused.

"Exactly," Ryou said.

"But, Shirogane… what does it _mean_?" Ichigo pressed exasperatedly. Retasu gasped.

"They're going to…! _Oh_! Shirogane-san, you don't _mean_ that do you?" she blurted, her chalky face a mixture of horror and shock. He sent her a confirming look. She nearly dropped her mug.

"Retasu – what is it?" Minto asked, becoming frustrated.

"The aliens are going to create a team of transforming creatures, identical to us," Zakuro said. "Identical in physical ability, that is... Similar features, characteristics and weapons… right? But, let me guess – they're going to upgrade their 'Mews' so that they're more powerful than we are?"

"Exactly," Ryou said darkly. They all fell silent, absorbed in their own shocked thoughts. Ichigo considered the outcome of the aliens' plan.

"They could destroy all of you," Shirogane said presently, confirming their worst fears.

"So, what do we do, Shirogane-san?" Retasu asked, her eyes teary, her stomach squirming with nausea.

"We've already considered the possible options, but every suggestion we look into proves inefficient. We've come to the conclusion that there's only one thing we can do if we want to save the team, and Earth," Keiichiro said, speaking for the first time.

"And what's that?" Ichigo asked dully, her usually perky voice uncharacteristically pessimistic.

"We need to outnumber them," Ryou said gravely. "We need to find more Mews."

* * *

**To be continued...**


	6. Six

**A/N: **Upon revising this story, I've discovered several key flaws, one of which needs to be addressed right now.

As you are about to learn, reader, at this stage of the plot only three days have passed. In total. Six chapters to cover three days of storyline. That wouldn't be particularly strange usually, but considering how much has happened, it really seems like more time should have passed.

In the future, when I'm doubling back to heavily reconstruct the plot, I'll fix this up, so a more believable time frame takes place. For now, however, you'll just have to take it with a grain of salt. Thus, three days it has been.

* * *

**6) ...**

Dedicated to XxButterflyxAngelxLover

(nee butterflyangellover14)

* * *

"Morning, Ichigo," Moe greeted the red-head on Monday morning.

Ichigo was back at school, where she had begged Masaya to be just three nights ago. Two days had passed since that fateful afternoon, and she felt like there was a huge hole in her heart. _Well, there is. The place where he was is now empty. That's a massive space to fill… _she thought glumly, walking into school with her friends.

"Ichigo, are you with us today?" Moe asked, waving a hand in her face. Ichigo blinked several times and looked up. Both Moe and Miwa were watching her with bemused expressions on their faces.

"You're acting really weird today, Ichigo," Moe declared.

_Here we go, _Ichigo sighed inwardly. _Time for 'Detective Moe and the case of Ichigo's mysteriously broken heart'…_

"What's going on?" Miwa asked kindly. "Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not. I-I just had a big weekend," Ichigo said truthfully. Both her friends sent her suspicious glances.

"I think she's lying, Miwa," Moe said with a melodramatic sigh. "Come on, Ichigo. Tell us what's wrong. We _are _your friends, after all."

"Well… I guess… Um, did you guys hear about Masaya?" Ichigo asked cautiously, tucking a strand of hair nervously behind one ear. They both stared at her, wide-eyed.

"No," Moe replied. "What's going on? Did you two have a fight? Did you break up? Ichigo – _please _say you didn't cry and call him until he gave in and talked to you. I read in a magazine that you're supposed to wait for the guy to instigate a rectification," she gushed in anxiety.

Ichigo rolled her eyes. "No! Of course we didn't fight." Moe relaxed, evidently relieved.

"What's wrong, then?" Miwa asked. Ichigo sighed.

"Guess it's gonna come out somehow. People will know by the end of the day anyhow…" she trailed off reluctantly. They watched her expectantly, waiting.

"And…" Miwa pushed gently.

"Keep talking," Moe added with impatience.

Ichigo took a deep breath. "Masaya's gone to England to study."

"You're not serious?" Moe gasped instantly. They stared at her with twin stunned expressions.

"I'm serious. He's gone," Ichigo replied glumly. Her two friends exchanged miserable glances.

"We're sorry, Ichigo," Miwa said, offering her arms out in a hug. They both wrapped their arms round her.

"It'll be okay," Moe added, faux cheerful. "You'll see. He'll totallycome back again."

"I'm not so sure, guys," Ichigo replied gloomily. The bell interrupted their dramatic moment and they sprang apart, suddenly alarmed.

"We've been babbling for that long?" Moe gasped as they pelted into the main building.

"No," Miwa huffed. "Ichigo was late again, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

"It's not my fault, guys," Ichigo whined. They ran along the corridor to their classroom. Moe wrenched open the door and they piled in. Ichigo glanced around. Their teacher was absent.

"You mean we ran all this way and he's not even _here_?" Moe whined.

"You can never be on the safe side with him," Miwa reminded her knowledgably.

"True," Moe agreed. The three friends made their way over to their desks and sat down. Immediately, Ichigo felt a wave of drowsiness creeping its irresistible fingers over her mind. She dropped her bag on the floor beside her desk and flopped her head onto her arms. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.

"How _does_ she do that?" Miwa asked, awed. Moe peeked around Miwa's shoulders.

"She's got to be the biggest sleep-a-holic on the planet," she replied, shaking her head sadly.

* * *

Ichigo wandered along the footpath towards Café Mew Mew. Her feet scuffed the pavement, the sun casting long shadows in front of her.

_What a day… _she thought wearily. _Everywhere I turned there were girls crying and teachers talking and people everywhere, shocked about Aoyama's departure. Didn't he tell anyone he was leaving? I don't think the principal even knew! Masaya… Look what you've done… Look how many people you've affected. Why did you decide to leave _now_? Why couldn't you have gone at the end of the term? I wish I could see you. I miss you…_

It had been a long, hard day. Every girl she saw upset at Daikan Junior High School reminded her of her own personal loss, and it took all her power to keep herself from bursting into tears. By lunchtime she was ready to go home; she was so sick of being in such a depressing environment. At the end of the day she was not only physically exhausted, she was mentally exhausted as well. And her mood had been consistently gloomy from beginning to end.

Unfortunately for her, things wouldn't improve much when she reached Café Mew Mew.

"Momomiya, hurry up and get changed. We're flat out this afternoon!" Ryou commanded as she walked through the door. She sighed.

The Café was a mess. There were people everywhere. Tables were fully booked, and people were queuing as they waited for one to free up. Delicious smells wafted from the kitchen - where she knew Keiichiro would be busily baking - mingling with the tell-tale sounds of a busy franchise in full swing.

Her eyes darkened when she spotted Minto sitting at her usual table, perching with a cup of tea - once again doing nothing to help out. Zakuro walked past with a heavily loaded tray. Purin was working the till like there was no tomorrow. A resounding crash from the direction of the kitchen explained Retasu's whereabouts. The whole place was in great need of a good clean.

"Okay, I'll be right there," Ichigo replied tiredly, heading straight for the change rooms. Ryou watched her with his brilliant blue eyes. Something was wrong again. She looked upset.

Ichigo folded her school uniform and fixed the little white crown in her red hair. Then she grabbed the mop and walked back out to the main room, where she promptly began cleaning the floor.

"Strawberry, forget that for a moment. Can you come and clean up Midorikawa's mess, please?" Ryou asked urgently, poking his head around the door. She nodded and leaned the mop against the wall, heading into the kitchen. Broken china pieces were scattered everywhere.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Retasu was apologizing profusely to Keiichiro. "It just slipped out of my hands! I'm sorry!"

"Its okay, Midorikawa-san. Take this tray and deliver it to table seven," Keiichiro replied patiently. She bowed respectfully, face as red as a tomato, and took the tray out of his hands.

"Hi, Akasaka-san," Ichigo said, stepping carefully out of Retasu's way to avoid collision. He looked around in surprise.

"Oh, hello Ichigo. How was school?" he asked good-naturedly.

"Brilliant," Ichigo replied sarcastically, sweeping the broken tea set into a dustpan.

"I take it it wasn't an easy day then?" Keiichiro guessed.

"The worst day I've ever had," she replied truthfully, tipping the pieces into the trash. "It was hard without Aoyama there…"

"I imagine it would be. Don't stress about it, Ichigo. It's not good for you," Keiichiro advised seriously. "It's no one's fault, and there's nothing anyone can do to bring him back. The best thing to do is move on. I know it sounds hard, but you're very capable."

"Thanks, Akasaka-san," Ichigo said, but inside she felt wretched. _I don't want to move on... I want everything to go back to normal... _She glanced up and caught him watching her quietly, and forced a cheery, bright smile that felt all wrong on her face. He returned it as she hastily mopped up the spilt tea, preparing a tray with the next order.

As Ichigo put the dustpan and brush away, she watched him place an assortment of delicious-looking pastries on cute little tea plates. One had glazed peaches, one had chocolate shavings and the third was a sugared cherry pie. It was making her hungry just looking at them. He finished the order by adding three raspberry sodas.

"Ichigo, now that you've finished that, could I get you to deliver this to table eleven?" he asked.

"Sure, no problem," Ichigo agreed instantly, picking up the tray. As she backed through the doors to the dining room, she passed Retasu.

"Hi," Retasu said, smiling.

"Hey, Retasu. How're you doing today?" Ichigo asked. A frown appeared on the green-haired Mew's face.

"Not so good. I keep dropping things," she replied glumly.

An encouraging smile flitted across Ichigo's face. "Cheer up! These things happen. I've gotta deliver this, so I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Oh! Of course! Sorry," she replied hastily, moving aside.

Ichigo carried the tray out to the packed dining room. She dodged a crazy Purin, who rolled past on a red-and-white striped ball, carrying a huge birthday cake in one hand, and made her way over to table eleven. Three girls sat around it, from a school she didn't recognize. One had short, layered red hair, in which was nestled a pale pink ribbon. The second had light brown hair, which was braided in a plait down her back. The third had a high, dark brown ponytail.

"Peach Parfait, Chocolate Surprise, a Cherry Tart and three raspberry sodas?" Ichigo clarified their order. The redhead nodded, smiling.

"Thanks," she said when Ichigo placed their orders on the table.

"Pretty busy today, huh?" the mousey-brown haired girl commented, glancing around. Ichigo followed her gaze. The café was in pandemonium.

She turned back with a light laugh. "Yeah, I don't know why today's so hectic. It's normally pretty quiet on a Monday."

"Better let you get going then," the red-head said jovially. Ichigo hurried back to the kitchens, passing Zakuro on the way.

* * *

"Ichigo, can you clean those three tables? They haven't been done yet."

"Ichigo, please deliver this tray to table four."

"Don't forget to mop the kitchen floor, Ichigo."

"When you're done there, Ichigo, make sure you sweep up outside; the leaves are gathering again."

"The change rooms need vacuuming, baka."

"Sorry, Ichigo, would you mind washing those dishes for me?"

"The windows are getting pretty grimy, Ichigo. If you get a chance, could you clean them?"

"Table thirteen hasn't been served yet."

"Retasu forgot to get the teapot. Could you grab it for her?"

"We're going to need more stock soon. Ichigo, can you do that for us? Just hurry down to the store and back. Be quick, though."

Ichigo traipsed up the golden-tinged footpath. The sun was setting and the sky had burst into a flame of orange colour. The clouds were shining in the last dying rays. She clutched two massive brown paper bags in her arms, so full of groceries they were nearly overflowing.

They were heavy, and she was tired. No - _exhausted_. Absolutely exhausted. It had been the busiest day at the café she had ever known. She still had a few jobs left to finish when she got back. After she put away the groceries, washed up the cutlery and tea sets from the last couple of customers and closed up the café, she had to finish mopping the front room, which she had started hours ago and hadn't yet had a chance to complete.

She sighed deeply, clutching the bags carefully so she wouldn't drop them, turning at last up the front path to the café. Entering through the doors, she discovered Minto and Retasu standing, back in their school uniforms, talking to Keiichiro. Evidently they'd just finished up. Zakuro was wiping down some tables. Purin was nowhere to be seen. Ichigo guessed she'd gone to get her little sister from daycare.

"I'm back," she called wearily, heading straight into the kitchens to the pantry, where she began unloading the paper bags, and putting away the groceries.

"We're heading home, Ichigo," Retasu called gently, poking her head around the door.

"Guess I'll see you tomorrow, then," Ichigo replied, stacking boxes of sugar. Retasu waved goodbye, smiling. Ichigo listened to the sounds of her two friends leaving the café with a stab of envy.

"You worked hard today, Ichigo," Keiichiro said from behind her. Ichigo jumped, startled, dropping the bottle of vanilla essence she was holding. It hit the floor and smashed instantly.

She sighed. Today couldn't possibly get any worse.

"Baka! Aren't you paying attention?" Ryou's voice scolded her. "Those things aren't cheap."

She was wrong. It could get worse, and it just had.

Ichigo fought back tears as she cleared the remains of the vanilla essence bottle away and carefully mopped the floor with a heavy heart. Although she managed to make the stain vanish, she couldn't get rid of the strong vanilla smell; it stung her eyes as she wiped it up. It would probably seep through the pantry and make all their supplies smell and taste of vanilla.

Unbeknownst to her, Keiichiro was watching her silently, concern flickering in his eyes.

After she'd put away the rest of the groceries, Ichigo returned to the front room to finish mopping. Judging by the size of it, she'd be there another good half hour. Shirogane had long since disappeared into the depths of the café, but somehow she was still teary. Probably it was because she was so tired. Or because her day had been so bad. Or because Ryou was constantly contradicting everything – the way he treated her, especially.

She cleaned hard, eager to finish up and head home. She was still mopping after night had fallen, and when she stopped to have a short break, the stars were just starting to come out. She looked at the clock. It was nearly seven. Her parents would probably be starting to worry; she'd never been kept back this late at the café before.

Ichigo looked up at the door, remembering vividly how Masaya had walked through it the previous Friday. She was instantly taken back to that afternoon, reliving the stark memory. The pain on his face. Her disbelief. Their argument. Him holding her tightly. Their final farewell. Then, him walking out that door again, and not coming back.

Suddenly, she was back in the café in the dark, gripping the broom handle like she had that afternoon. The tears had broken and were rolling silently down her cheeks. Her breath caught in her throat, as she realised, and suddenly she was strugglinh to keep from sobbing. She had gone cold; her knuckles were aching around the broom handle.

Without warning, the mop was pulled gently from her grip and dropped lightly on the floor with a sharp clatter, then a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her.

"Its okay, Strawberry," Ryou's hesitant voice said quietly. "It'll be okay."

But instead of making her feel better, Ichigo found she only felt worse. It was hard enough dealing with everything without having Shirogane worrying about her having meltdowns. She felt pathetic. More tears spilled from her eyes, and it was suddenly all too much to handle - the breakup, Masaya leaving, the loss of her power pendant, the possible invasion being her fault, Kisshu's constant drooling, Ryou's confusing behavior... Even her terrible day at school, and then the afternoon at the café. Everything.

For once, Ichigo simply couldn't pull herself together. For once, it was too much to deal with. She curled her arms around Ryou's waist, turning her face into his surprisingly comfortable chest and listening to the erratic beating of his heart beneath her ear. It was a strangely comforting sound; rhythmic and soothing. She sniffled, his scent suddenly clogging her senses until she was nearly dizzy.

He pulled her into a firmer hug, daring himself to stroke her hair, and gave a heavy sigh. _How does she manage to look pretty even when she's crying? _he wondered, feeling sad for her.

For once, he didn't care that things would probably be weird between them the next day. He couldn't bear to watch her shatter in front of him. He couldn't stand by and do nothing.

Strangely, he knew exactly what she was going through - though she probably thought he didn't. He'd felt the same way when he'd had to move out to Japan with Keiichiro, after he'd lost his parents in that terrible fire… The ache in his heart had been so terrible he thought it would never heal.

And it had taken years… many years… for the wounds to even begin to heal.

* * *

"Hey, Ichigo," Retasu greeted the red-head as she pushed open the front door.

It was the next day, before they opened up, and Keiichiro and Ryou had decided to hold a meeting in the kitchen. The girls perched around the table, waiting. Ichigo pulled out a chair and sat down, studiously avoiding Shirogane's eye. She'd felt a little uncomfortable since the events of the previous evening, and no longer knew how to act in his presence. Would they just ignore it and forget it had happened?

_Why would we forget it? It's not like anything bad happened… people are allowed to be upset. He was just comforting me… there's nothing weird about that… is there? God, why am I overthinking this? It was nothing!_

After another long day at school, she was in no mood for stressing over trivialities.

"Girls, we think its time we start the search for the new Mews," Keiichiro announced, diving straight in. He lgravely ooked around at them all. "There really isn't much time to sit around discussing it. The Cyniclons could attack at any moment, and we'd rather be prepared when they do. We've decided to begin right away, and today is best day for it. So we're going to close early this afternoon, and you'll split up into groups and search Tokyo."

"But that could take weeks," Ichigo complained. "Tokyo's huge!"

"With the five of you working individually, you'll cover more ground in less time," Keiichiro replied with confidence. "It's sensible and logical. Don't worry; we're not expecting any of you to find these girls tonight."

"How exactly will we know when we've found one?" Zakuro asked.

"Well, you'll notice the Mew mark," Ryou said. "And we've derived from Ichigo's pathology results that they will be somewhat noticeably different to normal people."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo demanded, affronted. Angry blush flamed her cheeks. She folded her arms crossly.

"We're not completely sure yet – we'll need to examine samples of each of the girls' blood and DNA before we can properly come to a conclusion. But your DNA is different to the standard girls'," he replied, seemingly oblivious to having offended her. "Not only is there a balance of human and animal DNA, there is also a larger amount of mixed DNA per cell in your body. Basically that throws out your entire cell balance, in contrast to the organelles and life span of the cells in your body."

"I don't understand biology, Shirogane," Ichigo snapped hotly. "What does it _mean_?"

"Your cells perform different functions to normal people's," Zakuro explained. "And ours probably will, too. And so will the new girls'. That's how we'll be able to find them. They'll be _obviously_ different to other teenage girls. For example, they might display erratic behaviour, or something."

"Oh…"

"So, the search begins tonight, girls. Report back routinely with an update on your findings. Keiichiro and I will help, of course," Ryou said, business-like. "Now, Retasu, Minto, can you open the café? Zakuro and Ichigo, help Keiichiro prepare the orders. Purin; you're cleaning tonight."

Ichigo felt his eyes flick over to her, but she refused to meet his gaze. She stood up with the others, and the five girls walked out to the change rooms to get ready for another busy afternoon at the café.

* * *

"It would be so nice if some of these girls made it easier for us," Minto said later, as the girls closed up the café. "I mean, there are so many people that come to the café… you'd think at least _one _of them would be a teenage girl with random animal DNA…"

"Where do you think we should start, na no da?" Purin asked, smiling eagerly up at Zakuro.

"We'll split into two groups, as Shirogane said," Zakuro replied. "Ichigo and Minto, you two head into the business district, where it's busiest at this hour. Retasu, Purin and I will start looking around the arcades and malls."

"Okay," Ichigo agreed. "What time should we meet back here?"

"Search for two hours, then come back," Zakuro said, after a moment's thought.

"Alright… Let's go, Minto." Ichigo turned to her blue-haired friend, who was dusting down her lavender-coloured dress. The white shirt she wore underneath prcatically gleamed, it had been so pristinely cleaned and pressed. Minto shrugged and turned for the door.

"Guess we'll see you all later," Ichigo said, following.

"Good luck!" Retasu called after them.

* * *

"I don't understand where we're supposed to look," Ichigo confessed.

She was standing on the corner of an intersection of four wide, sky-scraper-lined, hectic streets in Tokyo's business district. Huge offices, firms and corporations loomed up on all sides. Minto crossed her arms impatiently.

"This is the silliest place to look," she decided shortly. "What kind of teenager hangs out here?"

"Uh… kids who want to be businessmen?" Ichigo suggested.

Minto sent her an exasperated look. "The question was rhetorical, Ichigo. You weren't supposed to answer it." she said.

Ichigo resisted the urge to glower, resenting her friend for making her feel stupid. "So… now what?"

"I don't know!" Minto snapped, losing her patience. "This is all Shirogane's fault. What's the point of sending us on a mission when we don't even have enough information about what we're looking for to be able to find it! This is a waste of a perfectly good afternoon."

"It's not his fault. He's just trying to help us prepare for the alien invasion," Ichigo replied, rolling her eyes. Then she gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, glancing guiltily at Minto, who's mouth had dropped open in surprise.

"Momomiya! Did you just _defend _Shirogane?" she demanded.

Ichigo blushed. "No! I was just saying–"

"Something's up with you. Is there some special little thing going on between you two that none of us know about?" Minto asked slyly.

Ichigo's blush deepened. Had the bird-Mew lost her mind? "Minto! That's the craziest thing you've ever said! Are you insane? Of course nothing is happening with me and Ryou! That's gross!"

An odd expression crossed Minto's face. Something in it made Ichigo feel very, very nervous.

"W-what is it?" Ichigo asked tentatively.

"… You just called him Ryou," Minto answered quietly, a delighted smile of utter satisfaction stretching languidly across her cheeks.

Ichigo gasped. "Minto, I–"

"You _never _call Shirogane '_Ryou',_" Minto pressed.

"It just slipped out!" Ichigo protested.

"You're not telling me something, Ichigo."

"I don't know why I said that!"

"What are you _hiding_?" Minto yelled finally, eyes gleaming.

Ichigo fell silent. What _was _she hiding? Nothing was happening with her and Shirogane (her stomach flipped when she thought about it), so why was she so flustered and embarrassed? Minto was just poking fun at her… why was she taking it all so seriously?

"I… I don't know what's going on, Minto," Ichigo said eventually, truthful. "I'm… I'm really disoriented at the moment…"

"Don't _I _know it," Minto said pointedly, sending her a sharp glance. "You don't have to get so defensive."

"I didn't mean to… I'm sorry," Ichigo replied, blushing. She looked down at her shoes, her heart hammering in her chest and throbbing loudly in her ears.

"So, what _is _happening with you two?" Minto asked quietly, after a moment's pause.

"Nothing," Ichigo said truthfully. Minto watched her for a moment, finally raising one carefully-groomed eyebrow.

"Masaya's gone, Ichigo," she said flatly. "And as much as you'd like to live in your safe fantasy world, he's not going to come back. So move on. There are other people in this world who love you. Do us all a favour and realise it."

Ichigo watched her friend's back as she turned and stalked up the street to begin their search of the business district. The words rang in her ears. _There are other people in this world who love you… _What did she mean? She couldn't possibly have meant Shirogane. That was crazy - ludicrous. In fact, she'd never heard of anything so stupid.

A relationship between the two of them could only exist in a parallel universe - one where he showed even the tiniest semblance of being a nice guy, and Masaya didn't exist… All the same, Minto was being serious. She was really annoyed. Maybe Ichigo had somehow overlooked some small detail in Shirogane's confusing personality.

"Ichigo, what are you doing?" Minto's voice echoed back, interrupting her thoughts. The red-head looked up with a start. The bird-Mew was already way ahead of her, arms crossed impatiently.

"We don't have time for you to stand around daydreaming," Minto called. "So let's get going, already!"

With an over-exaggerated groan, Ichigo jogged up the street to her friend, her pink dress flapping lightly around her legs. As the sun began to set high above the busy streets of Tokyo, the two girls finally started their tedious search for the new Mew.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	7. Seven

**7) ...**

Dedicated to Kish's Kittie

* * *

"This is hopeless," Ichigo whined. Her feet dragged along the concrete and her shoulders sagged. They'd walked around Tokyo's business district for nearly two hours, and so far, nothing out of the ordinary had cropped up.

"For once, Ichigo, I agree with you. I say we go back to the café," Minto replied, resting against a brick wall, still warm with the dying rays of the setting sun.

Ichigo gave a melodramatic groan, collapsing onto a bench that happened to be very conveniently placed behind her. "I give up. We're not going to find the new Mews like this."

Minto preened her pristine nails. "Well, there's no use sitting around all day. Get up, Ichigo."

When she failed to respond, Minto stalked over to the bench, grabbed the red-head's shoulders and hauled her to her feet. Ichigo protested in exhaustion. Annoyed, Minto slapped her face sharply.

"Ow! What was that for?" Ichigo gasped, hand pressing against red cheek, eyes wide with shock. Minto sent her a cool stare.

"Snap out of it. We'll never get home if we don't start walking now," she said haughtily. Ichigo sighed with heavy reluctance.

"There's a good Ichigo," Minto cooed, mock praising. "Now let's go before it gets dark."

Ichigo rolled her eyes and followed the blue-haired girl up the street. She didn't know why she was being so difficult; maybe because she'd been on her feet non-stop for days. What she really wanted (and needed) was a nice, long break.

* * *

"There they are!" Purin cried happily, as Ichigo and Minto walked in at last.

"How did your search go?" Zakuro asked immediately. She was leaning against the cupboard door, dressed in a zebra print singlet and a pair of white jeans.

"It didn't," Ichigo admitted, sinking down on a pouf. She let her hands flop lazily over her knees.

"We didn't find anything," Minto elaborated, taking a thick velvet black coat off its hook beside the door.

"Neither did we," Retasu replied glumly. "We looked in all the main department stores and malls, but we didn't see anything out of the ordinary."

"Guys, I don't think this is going to work. We're not going to find the Mews by walking around Tokyo for hours. There has to be an easier way," Ichigo said with finality.

"Like what, na no da?" Purin asked, cocking her head to one side. She jumped up on a thin stool, balancing on one foot, a selection of Zakuro's makeup stacked high in either hand. No matter what she was doing, the monkey-Mew managed to relate everything to a circus.

"I don't know," Ichigo admitted. "But wandering around this massive city is just a waste of our time."

"I agree. We should narrow our search," Zakuro said. They were silent, contemplating their predicament.

"So. How'd it go?" a calm voice interrupted. Shirogane stood in the doorway. Ichigo's heart fluttered. She couldn't believe she was pleased to see him. The faintest of blushes dusted her cheeks; she swallowed nervously.

Minto raised one eyebrow, eyes shrewd.

"We have to come up with a better way to find these other girls, Shirogane," Zakuro explained firmly. "This isn't going to work."

"Why not?" Shirogane demanded, crossing his arms unhappily.

"Shirogane-san, it's going to take weeks to search Tokyo _once,_ let alone multiple times," Retasu pleaded. He looked around at them all, his clear blue eyes narrowed. They lingered on Ichigo's tired face. At length, he sighed.

"Very well, then." Shirogane glanced at Retasu, who blushed and let her gaze drop. "I guess we'll have to reconsider our strategies. But for the rest of this week, I want you to continue your search of Tokyo every afternoon. We can't afford to sit back and do nothing."

"Yes, sir," Purin, Zakuro, and Retasu chanted obediently. He left without another word.

Minto sighed. "Well, _I _am absolutely _exhausted. _This is such hard work, what with the café and all. I think I'll have my limousine pick me up from out the front today, rather than walk home," she said delicately. Ichigo couldn't help but fume.

"Minto, how can you say that? You can't seriously think the café tires _you _out," she replied. "You rarely do anything. Wait, you _never _do anything!"

"Oh _don't _even start, Momomiya. Just because I'm not the one obsessed with–"

"That's not true, and you know it!" Ichigo snapped, cutting her off. Minto raised one eyebrow with a smirk.

"How could you have known what I was about to say? Unless you knew exactly what I meant, in which case it would _have _to be true," she pointed out slyly. Ichigo flushed hotly.

"For your information, _princess_, I miss Masaya every single living moment of my day!" she snapped shrilly, tears springing into her eyes. "How dare you question my devotion to him!"

"Does anyone know what they're talking about?" Retasu asked meekly. She stood with Purin and Zakuro on the sidelines, watching the argument with wide eyes.

"No idea, na no da!" Purin chirruped happily. Zakuro said nothing.

"I thought I told you today–" Minto began, but Ichigo cut across her.

"Stop it! Stop it, Minto! I don't want to hear it! You're not making things any better! So just _stop_!"

Without another word, she bolted from the room, not wanting to face any of them, especially Minto, another second.

_BAM!_

She reeled from the sudden impact with something solid, and hit the floor with a thud, as did the sturdy something she'd hit. Several crashes followed.

"Argh…" Shirogane groaned lowly.

"Ow… my head…" Ichigo moaned, pressing tentative fingers against the sore spot, one eye shut in pain. Her skull seared where it must have smacked against Ryou's chin.

"You have the thickest head," he muttered. "I swear it could break through brick walls."

"Thanks," Ichigo replied sarcastically. She sat up against the wall. "What smashed?"

"The china plates that held the cakes I was bringing you guys," he replied. Ichigo looked around. There was cake all over the floor. She sighed, dropping her hand from her head.

"I'll clean it up," she said dejectedly.

"No," Shirogane replied suddenly, and she glanced at him in confusion.

"Why not?" she demanded, thrown out. Ryou looked away, his expression unreadable.

"I'll get one of the other girls to clean it up," he muttered, looking strangely flustered. Glancing uncomfortably at her - if she didn't know him better she'd even say he looked almost _shy_ - he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted as the heads of Retasu, Purin and Minto popped around the door.

"What happened here?" Minto asked, looking smug. Ichigo gritted her teeth, flushing angrily, and refused to reply.

"Are you guys okay?" Retasu asked, an expression worry fixed upon her face.

"Yes, Midorikawa, we're fine," Shirogane sighed. "Get the mop and broom for me, would you? I'd like one of you to clean up this mess."

"I'll do it," Retasu offered immediately, disappearing up the hallway without another word.

"We're going to go home now, Shirogane-san," Minto said matter-of-factly.

"Okay then. See you tomorrow," Ryou replied. Zakuro, Purin and Minto carefully picked their way around the huge cake mess on the floor and walked away up the hall, casting curious glances over their shoulders. Ichigo heard the door close behind them.

Shirogane heaved a heavy sigh, then slowly stood up, careful to avoid the splatters of delicious creation around him. Ichigo tenderly felt her head once more. A hard lump had formed, and would probably bruise. It was painful to touch. _Just great, _she thought dully.

"How's your head?" Shirogane asked, dragging her out of her thoughts.

She laughed titteringly, waving one hand. "It's fine! Seriously. Clumsy me, right?" He sent her a look that told her to shut up. She'd been the receiver of it many times.

"Give me your hand," he demanded in a no-nonsense voice. Ichigo obeyed meekly, offering him one. He hauled her to her feet.

"God you're heavy. How does that work?" he muttered, letting go of her fingers.

Ichigo frowned. "What do you mean? I'm not _that _heavy! Maybe you're just weak."

"No, Momomiya - trust me, you're heavy. Not that you look it," Shirogane replied, walking away down the hall, leaving her standing, dumbfounded, surrounded by cake.

"Was that a… compliment?" Ichigo asked herself in a hushed voice.

He turned around, shooting her a suspicious look. "Are you talking to yourself?"

"No!" she squeaked, embarrassed, and laughed nervously. "Just... er... It was such a shame, you know? Such a waste of perfectly good cake!"

He stared at her flatly for a long moment. "Well? Are you coming, or what?"

She started and quickly followed him. "Where are we going?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just come."

* * *

"Has anyone else noticed how weird Ichigo's been acting lately?" Minto asked. She stood at the front gate outside Café Mew Mew with Zakuro and Purin, waiting for her limousine to arrive. Night was falling quickly around them; several stars minked merrily from the velvet sky above. The front door shut quietly behind them, and Retasu joined them with a shy smile, having cleaned up the cake fiasco.

"She seems fine to me, na no da!" Purin replied happily.

Minto raised one eyebrow. "Are you kidding? She's been totally whacko since the whole Masaya thing."

"Are you talking about Ichigo?" Retasu asked, blue eyes soft. "She'sbeen through a lot. She _has_ to be broken-hearted from losing Aoyama, and now she has to help us find more Mews because her pendant was stolen." She pulled her cardigan tighter around her and shivered. "Poor thing."

"I wouldn't be so sure she's heartbroken," Minto said, a sneer in her voice. They all looked to her, surprised - except for Zakuro, who was starting wistfully up at the twinkling stars.

"What do you mean, Minto-onee-chan?" Purin asked curiously, eyes wide.

"Oh, come on, you guys seriously haven't noticed how _flirty_ she's been?" Minto replied, a smirk twisting the corners of her lips. Retasu and Purin looked at each other, confused.

"What are you talking about? Poor Ichigo's been distant for days," Retasu said, somewhat disapprovingly.

"No-she-has-not!" Minto retorted, hands on hips. "She's been flirting every chance she can get!"

"With _who_?" Retasu demanded, shocked that Minto was being so uncompassionate towards their friend. For the first time in the history of the Mew Project, Retasu and Minto were arguing. They glared at each other.

"Shirogane-san!" Minto shot back, with a small, cruel smirk of satisfaction, knowing she was cutting deep. Retasu gasped, looking shocked and somewhat hurt.

"Th-that's not true, Minto. Take that back! Ichigo would never do something like that," she whispered, wringing her hands, the colour draining from her face.

"Are you sure?" Minto returned. Retasu's eyes shone with unshed tears. Unsettling doubt wavered in her stomach. She felt sick.

"Enough," Zakuro's sharp voice threw them both into silence. They looked over at her. A stern expression was fixed upon her famously gorgeous features.

"Ichigo is so confused right now. She can't possibly be flirting deliberately – not that she's been flirting at all," she continued, her tone no-nonsense. "Let her be for a while. Give her time to become used to life without Masaya. Right now, she's in a world she wouldn't have expected to be in her wildest dreams. I think she's leaning on Shirogane because there's no one else who can help her." She shot Minto a disappointed look. "Come on, guys. Everyone knows Shirogane likes Ichigo. Don't mistake _his_ flirting for her flirting."

With that, she turned her gaze back to the heavens. Minto and Retasu looked at each other, equally stunned. None of the Mews had ever admitted, even to each other, that Shirogane had a crush on Ichigo. It just wasn't something any of them discussed, even though they all knew (even Retasu, who was in denial) that it was true.

"So… your limousine should be here soon, right?" Retasu hastily changed the subject, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yes… any minute now…" Minto replied lightly. They looked away, in separate directions. Gloom settled over Retasu.

_Shirogane-san doesn't really like Ichigo… like that… does he? _she asked herself desperately, eyebrows wavering. _I couldn't bear that… after all the drama with Ichigo and Aoyama… he couldn't really ignore the fact that she loves him… could he?_

She self-consciously tightened her grip around herself, hugging her body for warmth. It sure was a cold night. Her breath was rising in in steamy clouds. Headlights suddenly appeared and a white limousine came around the corner, pulling up outside the café.

"Well, that would be mine," Minto said, by way of announcing her departure. "I guess I'll see you all tomorrow, then."

"Goodnight, Minto," Retasu politely bid the bird-Mew farewell.

"Bye, Minto-onee-chan!" Purin cried, waving merrily. As the white limousine pulled away from the kerb and disappeared up the street, each of the three remaining Mews said their goodbyes and headed for home, suddenly finding themselves without reason to linger outside the café any longer.

* * *

"Shirogane, I don't see the point in coming to the kitchen…" Ichigo trailed off, surveying the clean room with a skeptical eye. Ryou didn't reply.

"Just sit still for a minute," he said, his voice muffled as he rummaged around in the freezer. Ichigo sighed, swinging her legs absent-mindedly. Shirogane had picked her up - to her dismay and violent protest - and sat her on the bench before going straight to the refrigerator. He now returned with an ice pack.

"What's that for?" Ichigo asked, eyeing it suspiciously.

He gave a short, bark-like laugh. "What do you think it's for? Your head, baka." He began to wrap it in a tea towel.

"Oh," Ichigo said, humiliated by her own stupidity. "Of course. Duh! Silly me!"

Shirogane looked at her with clear blue eyes, reaching up to gently press the ice pack against her head.

"Ow!" Ichigo yelped at the unexpected flash of pain.

"Sorry, but it was obviously going to hurt, Strawberry. You should watch where you're going next time," Ryou said calmly, prepared for the explosion.

"_I _should watch where I'm going? What about you? You should warn people when you're coming!" Ichigo shot back.

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting you to come bursting out like a cat with its tail on fire, now, was I?" Shirogane pointed out, but all of a sudden, she couldn't hear anything he was saying; his face was astonishingly close to hers. She went quiet as the stunning reality of this hit her with full force. She could feel his breath on her cheek. She stared, utterly lost for words. His wrist brushed her eyebrow lightly as he held the ice pack in place. And yet, he seemed not to notice.

_Just keep your cool. Don't say anything out of the ordinary. Hold your tongue. Don't think about the fact that you're about two inches away from Ichigo… Keep your distance… even though kissing her would be a matter of a split second movement… _Ryou begged himself silently. He distracted himself with a thought that had been plaguing his mind since earlier.

"So what happened before? Why'd you come barrelling out like that?" he asked casually. He watched her chocolate eyes cloud.

"Oh… um… I just had an argument with Minto, really," Ichigo replied with a shrug.

"Are you guys okay?" Ryou asked before he could stop himself. Ichigo looked up in astonishment, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. Something was definitely up. Since when did he care about the interrelationships of his employees?

"Okay, Shirogane, fess up," Ichigo said, folding her arms stubbornly over her chest. He hastily moved away, warning bells ringing in his head. _This is _not_ good… she can't know how I feel about her… get out of there, Shirogane! _he scolded himself, putting the ice pack down on the bench. Ichigo's face was resolute, waiting.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she demanded. "Do you want something, or… something?"

"… I don't want anything from you," Shirogane replied in a low voice, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably and avoiding her eyes. "I… You've been through a lot this week, and… Well, you need a rest. You _deserve _a rest." He was trying to change the subject, and it wasn't working; he could tell by the way her eyes slitted for a split second.

"Where's this coming from? You never used to care. Actually, you used to go out of your way to _make_ my life difficult," she retorted, arms still firmly crossed.

"No, Ichigo, that's not–"

"I just don't get you. If you don't want anything from me, _what's the deal_?" Ichigo demanded, her gaze unyielding. He dropped his eyes and busied himself with putting away the ice pack. What could he possibly tell her?

_The truth? _a sly voice suggested in the back of his mind, and for one crazy moment, Shirogane very nearly did just that. _Heaven knows it'd take this suffocating weight off my chest._ But he caught himself, tossing a calculating glance in her direction. Under her intense, confused gaze, Ryou realised there was no way he could tell her. It would only make her life worse.

"Maybe it's time to go home," he said quietly, carefully detached. "It's getting late."

"Yeah, it is," Ichigo replied angrily, in a sharp voice that made him wonder if there an undercurrent meaning lying beneath it. Like she might be referring to something else entirely. He threw her a confused glance, but he didn't have time to interrogate her. Ichigo slipped off the bench and stomped off, her footsteps thundering away to the change room.

In the kitchen, Ryou slammed a fist down hard on the bench top. Why did he have to act like such a jerk? Why couldn't he just _tell _her the truth? Why was it inevitable that he was just going to wreck her life with it, if he did? Why did he even have to like her in the first place? And, for the love of god, where in God's name _was_ Carmen Sandiego? He laughed without humour, running a frustrated hand through his blonde hair.

_Distance yourself from her, Shirogane. There's no use even trying to be close to her. She doesn't want you - she wants him. She will always want him._ _All you're doing is making it hard for everyone. _

He sighed, leaning back against the fridge, eyes sombre. A thought flittered across his mind. _Everything would be so much easier if you liked Midorikawa…_

He pushed off and strode purposefully into the hall. With any luck, she might not have left yet. At least he could apologise, or something. Maybe promise her that things wouldn't be weird anymore - that things would go back to normal. _Yeah, right. Good luck convincing her when you don't even believe it yourself._

Ichigo was pulling the door to the café shut behind her when suddenly it became unwilling to close. She turned in confusion to find Shirogane's hand resting against it. He hesitated for a moment, blue eyes oddly bright.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" he asked tersely.

Ichigo ripped her gaze away, glowering at the hedge. "No, thanks," she said shortly. "I'm fine."

Without a backward glance, she turned and walked down into the street. With a heavy sigh, Ryou reluctantly shut the door and turned back to face the empty café, defeat washing through his heart.

* * *

"Well, well, well. It looks like our little kitten is all alone. On a dark, cold, positively _gloomy _night like this? What a foolish girl she is," Kisshu mused in delight, watching the form of the red-haired Mew walk along a silent street on a monitor in their whirring technology room. Pai and Taruto appeared beside him.

"I thought the leader of the Mew Mews was an intelligent girl," Pai muttered darkly, his eyes fixed on the large screen, on which it was showing a drizzling rain had just begun.

"You know…" Taruto paused. "That's really dangerous!"

"Oh, well done! You _clever_ boy. I'm impressed you worked it out," Kisshu said sarcastically. He dropped the facade. "Yes, it's dangerous! Which is perfect – well, for us, at least. Girls like Ichigo shouldn't walk the streets alone at night. It makes it only too easy to attack. And we wouldn't want _that _to happen, now, would we?"

He turned to face his comrades, his golden eyes gleaming mischievously. "Finally, the _perfect_ chance to test our latest creation."

* * *

"Ooh, that Shirogane! He's so frustrating!" Ichigo growled to herself. She glared up at the drizzling rain. As if reacting, the heavens opened up and it began pouring.

"I hate the way karma works!" Ichigo grumbled, running down the street, avoiding puddles. Within two minutes she was drenched to the bone.

She was exactly half way home. It was about fifteen minutes away; a couple of streets, or so. Ichigo slowed to a walk and stood under a bus shelter to wait out the rain for a moment and get her breath back. She watched the road in dismay. It was the heaviest downpour she'd seen in months. And it didn't look like it was going to ease up, either. She groaned aloud.

"Terrible weather, isn't it?" a voice asked conversationally from behind. Startled, Ichigo whipped around. Kisshu was standing next to her, an amused glint in his golden eyes.

"Oh, no!" she gasped in horror. Without thinking, she bolted out into the rain, instinctively turning back and heading for the safety of the café. She no longer noticed the rain lashing across her numb cheeks. Fear had replaced any other emotion. If the aliens caught her, she would be in real trouble. Without her pendant she had no way to defend herself against them.

Not too far from the café, Ichigo began to run out of breath. A stitch had formed and was jabbing stubbornly in her ribcage. Her breath was coming in short, shuddery rasps. She stopped, out of breath and dizzy from running, one hand pressed against the wall to support her. She doubled over, gasping for air.

As if on cue, Kisshu appeared in the street before her.

"Did you really think you could escape, kitty?" he asked, rolling his eyes, as though the idea was ridiculous. Ichigo glared at him, cheeks flushed against her pale face.

"Leave… me… _alone_…" she struggled to growl. He merely smiled charmingly and walked calmly towards her. She straightened, determined not to appear weak in front of him. Despite the freezing weather, she was sweating. Kisshu stopped before her.

"Now, now, sweetheart," he purred. "This will all be very simple if you don't resist."

To her dismay, Ichigo felt rather than saw Pai and Taruto teleport behind her. She was surrounded. _I can't give up! They won't take me quietly! _she thought fiercely, sprinting forward and shoving Kisshu with all her strength. He stumbled, surprised, and she sprinted for her life up the sidewalk.

Pai and Taruto watched her with wide eyes.

"You weren't expecting that, were you Kisshu?" Pai asked, somewhat impressed.

"She definitely doesn't give up without a fight, does she?" Kisshu replied as he recovered, admiring her spirit. There was a long silence as they all watched her figure getting smaller and smaller in the distance.

"So… you're gonna go get her… right?" Taruto asked, looking up at Kisshu. With a start, Kisshu gave a sharp, angry cry, disappearing into thin air.

* * *

Ichigo ran for all her life was worth. She could see the café up ahead.

Only a few hundred meters… closer… closer… She skidded around the corner of the hedge and was about to run up the path to the door when Kisshu appeared in front of her, rage twisting his elvish features.

"How dare you!" he yelled. "You had to make this difficult, didn't you?"

"No… leave me alone!" Ichigo shouted, ice-cold dread spiking through her. Kisshu disappeared again, and she felt a pair of arms fasten securely around her waist, cold and hard as steel.

"No – _no_!" she screamed helplessly, struggling in vain. "Shirogane!" To her horror, Kisshu's grip tightened around her, crushing her arms painfully, and she found it more and more difficult to fight. In a matter of seconds, she could hardly move.

"You can't win, Ichigo. Without your little pendant, you're useless," Kisshu hissed venomously in her ear. The door to the café was wrenched open and Ryou looked out, alarm all over his face. Ichigo's heart leaped hopefully. His eyes widened in shock at the scene below him; of the drenched girl trapped in the sinister alien's arms.

"Kisshu!" Ryou threatened, voice deadly serious. "Let her go."

Kisshu smiled devilishly.

"Too late, lover boy," he growled, disappearing on the spot and taking the soaking red-haired cat girl with him. Shirogane's heart fell as quickly as a ton of lead dropped from the top of a tower. He almost heard it slam into the ground at his feet.

"Ichigo!" he yelled in fury, the reality of her kidnapping crashing down on him with full force. He roared in frustration, slamming his fists against the door so hard he tore the skin from his knuckles. "_No_!"

Keiichiro was beside him in a second. "Ryou, what's wrong?"

"They've taken Ichigo," Shirogane managed to choke out, turning devastated eyes to search his friend's horrified face. "She's gone."

* * *

**To be continued...**


	8. Eight

**A/N: **Somewhere in this chapter, 'jail' is spelled 'gaol'. It's just the British-English way of spelling it. Don't freak out.

* * *

**8) ...**

Dedicated to XxButterflyxAngelxLover

* * *

"Morning, Akasaka-san," Retasu greeted merrily, poking her head into the kitchen.

It was a bright, beautiful morning; a typically brilliant day that resulted as the aftermath of a storm. The storm had blown over sometime the previous night, leaving the weather fine, blue, and gloriously sunny. However, the first odd thing green-haired Retasu noticed was that the kitchen was cold. Normally, the oven would have warmed the room nicely by now, the smells of freshly baked pastries would be wafting deliciously, and the sound of the first load of dishes being washed would be echoing through the café.

The second thing she noticed that both Keiichiro and Ryou were sitting silently at the table, the gloomiest of expressions fixed upon their exhausted faces. Evidently neither of them had slept a wink the previous night. Immediately concerned, she tiptoed into the room.

"A-Akasaka-san?" she whispered fearfully, wondering what was wrong. He looked up at her with sad eyes.

"Hello, Retasu," he replied in a dull voice. Her coat slipped from her fingers, landing with a soft thump on the tiles. What on earth had happened to make them both so dreadfully glum?

"W-what's going on?" she asked, bending slowly to pick it up.

"It's… Ichigo…" Keiichiro trailed off uncomfortably.

"What? What's happened to her? Is she okay?" Retasu gasped, dreading all the horrible possibilities.

"She's been kidnapped."

Retasu dropped her coat all over again.

* * *

"She's _what_?" Minto and Zakuro demanded in unison.

The four remaining Mews and their two bosses were gathered around the kitchen table, ignoring their responsibilities. It was nearing eight o'clock. The four girls were undoubtedly going to be late for school. At the moment, though, even studious Retasu didn't care.

"By who, na no da?" Purin asked in a wavering voice, big brown eyes misty with tears.

"Kisshu," Keiichiro explained. "And the others."

Shirogane didn't seem to be able to speak.

_Does that mean he really __does __feel that way about her? Is he really that distraught? _Retasu thought, with an unexpected stab of raw jealousy. Then she realised what she was doing and scolded herself in horror. _How can you think such a thing! Poor Ichigo's been kidnapped, and all you can think about is yourself, and your hopeless love-life! _

"What do we do, Shirogane?" Minto asked meekly, sinking, weak-kneed, into a chair.

"I… don't know," Ryou replied truthfully. His voice was raw and weak, like it hadn't been used for years and had rusted. The girls looked at him with horrified eyes. It wasn't often that he didn't have an answer to a sticky situation. They all knew what that meant. They were in _big_ trouble now.

"Girls. It's absolutely imperative that we find those other Mews now," Keiichiro said seriously, looking round at them all gravely. "We can't afford to waste any more time. If we don't find those girls and rescue Ichigo... she could be killed."

* * *

Ichigo stared furiously at the metal wall opposite her.

The tiny room she was being detained in reminded her ironically of a gaol cell. There was a heavily bolted door, metal walls set claustrophobically close together, and no window. The single light above her was plain white and flickered irritatingly every so often. The small futon she sat on was thin and uncomfortable.

Despite the coolness of the room, Ichigo was so boiling mad with rage that she didn't feel it at all. She'd been sitting in the tiny cell for hours - probably the entire night. But she wasn't the least bit tired. The moment Kisshu came in, she was ready to kill him.

As if on cue, the lock on her door clicked and it swung open with a screech. Kisshu walked in with a tray of food.

"Morning, kitten," he greeted cheerfully, as though they were on a tropical island holiday and she wasn't his prisoner in a dungeon-like cell.

Ichigo was on her feet in a flash. She stormed the several steps to where the green-haired alien stood.

"Now, now, there's no need to give me that look. I promise you these quarters are only temporary," Kisshu said lightly. "Besides, it's rather cosy in here, I thi–"

_SLAP!_

Ichigo's hand stung from the force with which she'd just belted his cheek. Kisshu staggered and nearly dropped the tray.

"How! _Dare!_ You!" she yelled, flinging her fists at him in fury. Kisshu dodged her punches, using the tray as a sort of defence. Water splashed all over the place. She steam-rolled on. "Bringing me here like this! I'm not your _toy, _Kisshu! You will _pay_ for this!"

With a growl, he disappeared for a moment, reappearing beside her bed. He placed the tray on it and grabbed her fiercely, pinning her up against the wall. His eyes flashed with anger.

"Watch it, kitty. Soon, you'll be _begging_ me for mercy," he seethed, golden eyes flashing.

Then he let her slump to the floor, and walked out without another word. Ichigo rubbed her shoulder where he'd pinned her painfully, hearing the lock click in dissatisfaction.

* * *

The laboratory was cool, dark and quiet… exactly the thing Shirogane needed.

He scanned the results of their latest DNA search, stewing in his regretful thoughts. _I should have walked her home, even though she told me not to. She would be safe and working, however unhappily. I'd rather her be here and unhappy than there and… well, damned miserable, I'd imagine. If only I'd told her the truth… maybe she would have stayed a little later… though I guess they would have followed her, anyway… if only I'd actually __done_ something_ to help her, rather than standing there like an idiot! _

"Shirogane, it's not your fault," Zakuro's voice said from the darkness, startling him. He spun his chair around and surveyed her through lifeless eyes.

"What's not, Fujiwara?" he asked coolly.

"Don't waste your breath. I know you're kicking yourself over this. I thought you might need some consolation," she replied, impassionate. Her heels clicked sharply against the tiles as she stepped inside.

"Thanks, but no. There's no time for regret, Fujiwara. We have to save her. How's the café going?"

Zakuro was quiet for a moment, before obliging. "We're closing up now. Do you want us to let you know when we're leaving?"

"Sure. Make sure you let Keiichiro know as w–"

He was going to say 'well' but a sudden, shrill beeping interrupted him. Ryou spun his chair around and looked up at the multiple large screens. Lights were flashing everywhere, and boxes displaying data were popping up all over the place. Zakuro's eyes widened, reflecting the hectic screens before her.

"That's _her_, isn't it?" she asked quietly. There was no need to elborate on who 'she' was. Ryou tapped furiously at the keyboard, not replying, and a large box with a picture popped up.

They fell silent, looking at it.

There was a picture of a girl with short, layered, red hair, and large hazel eyes. Nestled in her hair was a yellow ribbon. She was wearing a sailor-style school uniform; white with navy trimming at the long sleeves and the hem of the short skirt. A pair of over-the-knee navy socks stretched up her legs from her brown shoes. A navy kerchief hung over her shoulders, a red bow tied at her neck.

"That's her," Ryou confirmed in wonder, getting up from his chair without another word.

* * *

"She couldn't have come at a worse time," Ryou muttered. He and Keiichiro were walking briskly from the laboratory, up the corridor and through to the kitchen of the café.

Keiichiro looked lost in thought. "And you're sure this is one of the girls?" He sounded unsure.

"Positive. Her DNA scan results nearly matched Ichigo's perfectly," Shirogane explained. "They have a similar imbalance of DNA per cell, though not quite an exact match. I believe this girl shares the DNA of a different endangered creature."

"Mammalian?" Keiichiro guessed. Ryou nodded.

"Short-tailed Chinchilla, if I'm correct," he answered.

They walked through the doorway into the kitchen. Keiichiro immediately went to the oven and removed a tray of cupcakes he was carefully baking, placing them on the bench. Ryou watched him, thinking. _If only she'd come a day earlier. Ichigo might not have been kidnapped…_

As Keiichiro began creatively icing the cupcakes, they heard the bell signalling the door to the café opening, and the red-haired girl in question walked in cautiously, looking around. She was carrying a suitcase-style brown leather school bag.

Retasu and Minto poked their heads around the door where they (Retasu) were vacuuming the carpet. Zakuro looked up from cleaning a round white table. Purin, her curious gaze on the girl, didn't watch where she was going as she rolled on her trademark red and white ball. It slipped out from underneath her, and, with a squeak, she landed on her back on the slippery floor. The ball rolled away, unnoticed.

The girl walked further into the café, looking around for something, or someone.

"Hello?" she called nervously. Retasu let the nozzle of the vacuum drop, and bravely went to meet the girl.

"Hi, welcome to Café Mew Mew. Unfortunately, we're just closing up," she said apologetically. "But there are still some cakes left, and we can bring you a cup of tea, if you'd like."

"Oh, no, that's okay. But thanks anyway. I just wanted to know whether you were still open. Never mind," the girl said merrily, hazel eyes friendly, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Shirogane called quickly. She stopped in her tracks. The others glanced at him, surprised.

He approached her. "Stay a moment. We have something to discuss with you."

* * *

"Akahayashi Saki," was the name she gave. She now sat at the kitchen table with the four other mews, the first of Keiichiro's freshly baked and iced cupcakes sitting before her.

"So… I'm a… a _what_?" she asked dubiously.

"A Mew Mew. A human with the ability to acquire the DNA of a specific endagered animal and, using its instincts, mixed with the powers of a pendant, fight against our enemy; the Cyniclons," Ryou explained again. An odd expression came over her face; one of the uncomfortable kind.

"What's wrong?" Ryou asked.

"Well, nothing I guess… I just, didn't expect… to be… a-a mutant," Saki replied, sort of apologetically. She reddened, glancing to some of the other girls as though worried they might leap down her throat for offending them.

"It's okay, really," Retasu quickly said, to make the new girl feel better.

"Yeah… you get used to it," Minto added. "Besides, there are all of us, too."

"So… you're all… Mews?" Saki asked, looking around the table, testing out the word. Purin smiled encouragingly.

"I'm a monkey, na no da!" she squeaked proudly.

"Finless Porpoise," Retasu added.

"Blue Lorikeet," Minto said.

"Grey Wolf," Zakuro supplied. Saki's eyes grew wide and round with realisation.

"You… are you Fujiwara Zakuro? As in, _the _Fujiwara Zakuro?" she asked, eyes huge.

Zakuro sighed. "Yeah…"

"Wow! I've read every article about you in '_Tokyo Teen!'. _You're amazing!" Saki breathed in admiration.

Zakuro shifted slightly in her seat. "Thanks." She cleared her throat pointedly, throwing Shirogane a glance.

"And Ichigo-onee-chan is an Iriomote Wildcat!" Purin changed the subject back to more pressing matters, smiling brightly.

"Who's… Ichigo?" Saki asked, very confused.

"She's the leader," Shirogane replied. "And right now, she's being held captive in the space craft of the Cyniclons. They stole her pendant, and later kidnapped her."

"I-I…" Saki trailed off anxiously. The rest of the sentence dropped, unspoken, from her paled lips. They all watched her for a long moment, waiting for her to continue.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the cupcake, obviously thinking about something. She looked up with determination. "You want me to help rescue her, right?"

"Yes. There are four other girls out there somewhere, just like you. We need to find them as soon as possible. Also, you're going to need to be fitted for a uniform," Ryou said.

"Uniform?" Saki asked sceptically.

"We all work here. This café is our base. But it's also one of the best cafés in Tokyo," Retasu replied with a shy smile.

"It's always busy here," Minto added, sounding like it was laborious work – which was incredibly ironic to the others, as she _did _no work.

"So, go try this on," Shirogane said, handing her a cardboard box. Blinking at it, Saki obediently disappeared up the corridor. They were all silent for a moment.

"Wow… she really wasn't that hard to find," Retasu ventured.

"What do you think she's hiding?" Minto asked, sipping her tea and raising one eyebrow.

"She's not hiding anything," Shirogane said sharply, putting an end to the conversation. Minto fell silent, exchanging a glance with Retasu, who looked confused.

Saki reappeared several moments later, dressed in a pale pink uniform with the mandatory white heart-shaped apron, little white crown, pale socks and large black shoes.

"It fits perfectly," Keiichiro said, beaming. "You look absolutely charming."

Saki swished the dress around her legs, grinning like a child.

"Thanks," she replied, cheeks pink. "It's so cute."

"Girls, you can head home now. Your shift is done. Make sure you put away all the cleaning equipment before you go," Shirogane said shortly. "Sakuranbo, your first shift starts tomorrow afternoon. Be here at four."

"Um… okay," Saki replied, not knowing what else to say. It was all sort of happening too quickly; there was so much to take in.

"It was really great meeting you, Saki-chan," Retasu said, smiling warmly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Saki-onee-chan!" Purin cried, throwing her arms around a stunned Saki before she danced out.

"A tip: Don't take anything Shirogane says to heart. He's a little rough around the edges," Zakuro said, walking away. Saki watched her leave in awe.

"I'd offer you a lift home, but my limousine is kind of personal," Minto said. It was impossible to tell whether her snobbish tone was intended or unintended. "See you tomorrow."

"Uh… bye…" Saki trailed off. The café became silent as the four other girls left. _Now what? _she wondered uncomfortably.

"Sakuranbo-san, it won't take long at all for you to fit in. But if you have any problems or questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I'd be pleased to help in any way I can," Keiichiro said with a kind smile.

"Thanks, Akasaka-san," Saki replied, standing up. Shirogane walked out without another word.

"Excuse me!" Saki called after him, bowing respectfully to Keiichiro before hurrying out of the room. She hurried to catch him up. He paused, looking back in surprise.

Saki chewed her lip nervously. "I, um... I have something I need to talk to you about."

Ryou nodded wordlessly. "Come this way."

* * *

"Have you had an enjoyable day, Koneko-chan?"

Ichigo looked up from where she was sitting on the futon. Kisshu was smiling down at her mischievously. She was surprised she hadn't even heard the door unlock. _Guess I'm just that exhausted. I don't even know what time it is anymore. How long have I been here?_

"What do you want, Kisshu?" Ichigo demanded, glaring at him. She was cold, hungry and bored. Not to mention lonely and homesick. What if the aliens kept her captive here forever? She'd never get to talk to any of the Mews again, or apologise to Ryou. _Wait a second…what do I have to apologise for? _she wondered suddenly.

She didn't really have much more time to think.

"Are you ready, Ichigo, my dear?" Kisshu mocked her. She crossed her arms.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Ichigo snapped. "And I might be a dear, but I'll never be _yours._"

They glared at each other across the tiny cell. Kisshu snarled, displeased. Then he stepped forward and grabbed her arms, hauling her to her feet.

"Unfortunately for you, kitty, you don't have a say in the matter," he whispered menacingly, dragging her out of the room.

Ichigo struggled to free herself, but it was no use. Kisshu had too firm a grip on her. Although, she realised, he wasn't exactly hurting her. She gave up and allowed herself to be led along several highly technological corridors, fuming and sulking the whole way, until they came to a steel door not unlike the one to her cell.

Kisshu opened it and pushed Ichigo in, where she stumbled to her hands and knees. He walked in after her, smirking sinisterly as she looked around the very large, very dark room. Pai and Taruto teleported in front of her and Ichigo rose to her feet, facing her foes.

"What do you want?" she demanded bravely, red hair dull and messy.

"Oh, nothing much, _trust _me," Kisshu said. The words rang in her ears, and Ichigo knew with a horrible sinking feeling, that she was in trouble. Deep, nasty trouble.

"We just need you to test something of ours," Pai added cryptically. "Here - you may be needing this."

He stepped forward and held out his hand. In his palm sat her golden pendant. Ichigo gasped and stared at it suspiciously.

"This is some sort of trick, isn't it?" she asked, eyes narrowed. "What's wrong with the pendant?"

"Nothing," Kisshu replied truthfully. "We just needed to… borrow it."

"Take it," Pai repeated shortly. Eyes narrowed, Ichigo reached out and snatched it, rubbing her fingers over the cool, comfortingly familiar surface.

"What do you mean 'borrow it'?" she demanded, looking up at Kisshu with untrusting, brown eyes.

He smiled devilishly. "Koneko-chan, I think its time you met Keki."

Out of the darkness stepped an alien… a _female _alien.

She was tall and slender, with skin the colour of Pai's; rich, ruby red hair tied in a neat high ponytail, and eyes as cold and dark as caves. She was wearing a short, black tank top and a ripped black skirt, with black ribbons tied up her left arm and down her right leg. Ichigo took a step backwards, shocked.

"Hello, sweetie. How _long _I've been waiting to meet you," Keki purred. She sounded older than Ichigo – older even than Zakuro.

"Kisshu, I don't understand. What does she have to do with anything?" Ichigo demanded, turning to glare at him. Kisshu didn't reply. Instead, he walked past the confused cat-Mew and over to the female Cyniclon.

"Here, darling. A present," he said lightly, holding out his hand. Ichigo gasped as the female alien grasped it with long, chalk-white fingers. It was a silver pendant – identical to hers, but with a black gem in place of the pink.

"Don't look so shocked, kitten. We had to do _something _with that pendant of yours once we finally got our hands on it," Kisshu said, turning to face her, eyes gleaming. "Now we'll really see who's the most powerful. Keki!"

Keki smiled, holding the pendant tightly.

"Pernicious Pendant!" she called. "Cyniclon Keki, Metamorphosis!"

To Ichigo's utter horror and disbelief, she watched as a black light shot from the pendant, engulfing her slender figure. Behind the darkness, she knew a transformation was occurring. In a dream-like trance, she sent Kisshu a horrified look.

"What have you done?" she whispered, eyes wide. He grinned, pleased with himself, and at her reaction.

"See for yourself," he replied pointedly.

The black light faded, leaving in its place a very different Keki. Her white skin contrasted with her brilliant red eyes which gleamed from behind a shining set of robotic armour. A helmet covered most of her head, except for an incision at the top which allowed her ponytail to poke through. Her shoulders, back, arms and torso were covered in thick, silver armour, intricately designed with a black, swirling pattern. A black skirt fell below to knees, carving down either side of her legs, meeting in a point at the front and back.

"Is it a Chimera Anima?" Ichigo whispered, her mouth dry.

"Of course not, silly girl," Pai snapped.

"It's a _Mew Mew_, Koneko-chan," Kisshu explained proudly, voicing precisely what she hoped wasn't reality.

"You'd better hurry up and transform - she looks kinda _bored,_" Taruto added, laughing. Ichigo gripped her pendant and faced her frightening new foe.

"Well, whatever you are, I'll have no trouble taking you down, freak!" she said with determination. "Mew Mew Strawberry! Metamorphosis!"

Standing in her Mew form, Ichigo and Keki faced off, both equally determined to be the victor. Suddenly, with a battle cry, Keki leaped forward, striking the cat-Mew with a blow to the stomach.

"Argh!" Ichigo growled, crumpling in a heap. She quickly recovered, forcing herself to stand. "Strawberry Bell! Reborn Strawberry Check Surprise!"

Pink light swirled towards her enemy, but Keki expertly teleported at the last minute, reappearing behind Ichigo. A kick to the back sent the cat-girl slamming into the opposite wall. Keki aimed another kick at her, but she managed to slip out of the way before the alien's foot could make contact. With a cry of pain, Keki slammed her foot into the wall.

Ichigo turned around and aimed a punch at the alien's head, but once again, she teleported, appearing beside the red-head. Before she could even move, Keki had her pinned up against the wall, the steely fingers at her throat slowly choking the breath from her lips. Ichigo tried vainly to pull the alien's rock-like arm away from her throat, gasping for air.

"You see, Ichigo? These 'Mews' are far stronger than any Chimera Anima we've ever created. They're impossible to beat – virtually unstoppable," Kisshu explained. "You can't win. We gave these girls a power boost, which makes them twice as powerful as any of you weak Mew Mews. With these babies we'll storm your pathetic planet and finally claim it as our own. And there's nothing you can do about it." He smiled at her.

With a growl, Ichigo lashed out at Keki with her leg, unsurprised when the alien teleported, yet again, out of harm's way. Her feet hit the floor and she choked painfully as fresh oxygen filled her lungs, grasping her bruised throat. Keki appeared in front of her, somehow looking completely energetic.

_How come she's not tired? It's like I haven't done anything to her at all! _Ichigo thought desperately. As Keki aimed another punch at her head, the cat-Mew dodged to the side, retaliating with a fist of her own. Keki side-stepped with incredible speed, smashing Ichigo across the face, ripping a gasp from her lips. She fell to her knees, choking as she tasted blood in her mouth.

Something connected hard with her side and she hit the floor, rolling over onto her back. _Don't…give…up… _she thought wildly. But she felt broken in more places than she could imagine; her head was thick with dizzying pain, half her body numb with disbelief. _This can't be happening... it's not possible... it's a dream..._

"Strawberry… Bell…" she groaned, summoning her weapon. With a laugh, Keki kicked effortlessly from her fingers, standing above the weakened Mew leader with a triumphant smile across her face.

"That's it, Kisshu? You promised me a challenge," she called. The fight going out of her, Ichigo relaxed on the floor, returning to her human form.

Keki gave one short laugh and stepped back. "Take her away, Kisshu. We're done here."

Ichigo watched her return to her alien form with dread, failure and disappointment swirling in her stomach. What would happen to Earth now that these alien Mews were on the loose? She was starting to doubt the Mew Mews could save the planet, after all.

Suddenly, a pair of hands grasped her firmly and dragged the battered girl to her feet. Without struggling, Ichigo was led back to the cell and locked in once more. She collapsed on her futon, shaking with confusion, fear, cold, and weakness. She raised one hand to her face and tenderly dabbed the corner of her mouth. They came away daubed in scarlet.

Earth was no longer a safe place.

* * *

Shirogane had told her to wait, but he'd been gone a long time. Saki chewed her lip, listening to the tick of a clock somewhere nearby and growing steadily more unnerved. She needed to get home.

_Maybe he forgot. _She licked her lips, wondering whether she should just get up and go find him. _But he said to wait..._

Five minutes later, she got up decisively and headed for the staircase she'd seen him disappear up. All was silent on the landing. Coming to the first door, she took a deep breath, gathering her courage, and knocked twice.

The door swung open to reveal Shirogane, completely and utterly shirtless.

"Keiichiro–" he stopped mid-sentence, shocked.

Saki blushed furiously, backing away from the doorway, horrified. "I am so, _so_ sorry-"

"You're so much like Ichigo it's scary," was all he said bluntly, yanking up a scrap of material from the floor and pulling it hastily over his head. "I take it there was something important you wanted to say… is that the reason why you're here, even though I told you to wait downstairs?"

"I'm sorry," she said again, heart pounding madly. _My first encounter with a half-naked boy, and it's a total accident. Why me?_

His question suddenly struck her, jarring her from her furious thoughts. Words failed her for a moment as she struggled to find the right way to say it.

What she was about to attempt to find strength to tell Ryou was something that she'd never told anyone her whole life. She had a secret. A big secret. A huge, dark, terrible, shameful secret. A cross she'd beared her entire life.

She looked down and fidgeted nervously with the hem of her skirt.

Ryou ran a hand across his eyes, sighing to himself. _Girls. _

"Are you okay? Do you want to come in?" he asked, reluctantly stepping back and holding the door wide. After dealing with Ichigo's emotional troubles, he now recognised when a girl had something she wanted to say but was having difficulty saying it. Without waiting for her response, he gently guided her inside and shut the door.

"Whatever it is you need to say, it'll be in full confidentiality. It won't leave this room unless you want it to. I won't even tell Keiichiro, if you like," Shirogane promised, relaxing in the chair beside his desk. Sakuranbo blushed self-consciously and twisted her hands around each other, trying not to stare curiously at his belongings. _I feel all wrong, being in this total stranger's personal space._

She sucked in a steadying breath._ Here goes. Just spit it out._

"Well… the thing is… you see… I'm… I…" she stumbled over the words, cheeks blazing.

"Just take a deep breath, and think about what it is you're trying to say," Ryou suggested coolly. Saki stopped talking and took another breath to calm herself. He waited patiently.

"You'll probably think I'm a freak…" she began again. "Um, not every girl is like me… I mean, it's not like I'm _special_ or anything, if you know what I mean… It's just… um, I'm sort of…" she trailed off, unable to continue.

"Akahayashi, trust me, whatever it is, I won't be angry, shocked or repulsed," Ryou said with a short laugh.

Saki looked up into his face, hazel eyes huge and uncertain, and took a shuddery breath. _It's now or never, Saki. Do it._

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and took the plunge. "I'm part Cyniclon."

* * *

**To be continued...**


	9. Nine

**9) ...**

Dedicated to Gingeh

* * *

"Sit down, I'll make us some drinks," Ryou said. "You like coffee?"

"Just cocoa. Thanks…" Saki replied, running her sweaty palms awkwardly down the sides of her skirt. She didn't know how her new boss was handling the bombshell she'd just dropped on him. A minute later, Shirogane set down a steaming, delicious-smelling mug of hot cocoa in front of her, and sat down at the table with a coffee.

"So… tell me your story," he said. Saki sighed, her cherry-red hair flicking over her eyes.

"Well…" she began, fidgeting with her hem. "My father was a Cyniclon. My mother was human. He accidentally crashed his ship in Okinawa, where she was holidaying with her at-the-time fiancé. I don't know how they met, exactly, but she took him back to Tokyo and let him stay with her while he fixed his ship.

"For some reason, mother didn't seem to mind that he was an alien. She was always into fantasy stuff... she's a novelist... Anyway," she said hastily, waving one hand. "Cutting the story short, they... I dunno... fell in love, I guess. She called off the engagement to the other guy and they were secretly married.

"He stayed on Earth, even after his ship was fixed; I have no idea what story he fed to the officials to convince them to let him stay. But anyway. I was born, then my father was called away to fight in some huge Cyniclon war and he left. He didn't return. I don't even remember what he looks like... Mom told me he died years ago... in that war." She shrugged, self-consciously, and sought his eyes. "Basically... I'm half-half."

A brief moment of silence followed. She let him digest everything.

"So, what does that mean, exactly?" Shirogane finally asked, surveying her with interest. Saki sighed with heavy reluctance. Then she disappeared. Right before his very eyes. Ryou sat forward in his chair, startled.

"I can do _that_," Saki said from behind him. He turned around in his seat, blue eyes comically wide. She was sitting on the bench, legs crossed daintily.

"You… how did you do that?" he asked, amazed. She closed her eyes and a crease of concentration furrowed her brow. Once more she disappeared. This time when she reappeared she was sitting on the table in front of him.

"Impressive," Ryou said admiringly, blue eyes calculating. "You can teleport."

"It used to be a burden when I was younger, but I learned to use it to my advantage. I was _never _in the wrong place at the wrong time. If I was, I'd mysteriously disappear... I've always escaped trouble," Saki replied, unable to fight her sneaky grin.

"Boy would that have come in handy," Ryou muttered to himself, thinking of the countless times he'd been on the receiving end of Ichigo's temper tantrums. Saki frowned, confused and unsure of what to say now.

Suddenly, Ryou sat bolt upright in his chair, as if struck by lightning, startling her half to death. _Wait! She can teleport! She can–_

"Shirogane-san, are you okay?" Saki asked, a little alarmed.

"You can teleport," he repeated in wonder.

She blinked in confused succession. "Uh, yeah… I just showed you." Maybe her freak mixed breeding was too much for him to handle; she'd taken enough classes in psychology to recognise when people started displaying symptoms of insanity. She eyed him warily.

"So, you could teleport to the ship, couldn't you?" Ryou pressed.

"Which ship?" she asked, totally confused now.

"Theirs," he replied.

Suddenly, she realised who 'they' were. Ice hit her stomach. "The Cyniclons', right?"

He stood up in his chair and walked around the table, an idea brewing in his head. Saki followed him with her guarded, hazel eyes.

"Sakuranbo, your abilities… Would you agree to help us?" he asked hopefully, one hand resting on his chin as he thought. "If you teleported up to the Cyniclon ship, you could–"

"Shirogane-san-"

"Rescue Ichigo and possibly spy for us," he continued, as though he hadn't heard her.

"Shirogane-san!"

"The Cyniclons wouldn't even know you'd been there! We'd have Ichigo back, and we'd have done it without them even realising! It's perfect–"

"_Shirogane!_" Saki cried, finally getting his attention.

He turned, confused. "What?"

Saki swallowed. "They hate me. They know who I am, because I was raised like one of them until they realised I had a human mother, and I was exiled to Earth. If they find me on their ship…" she trailed off.

Ryou walked towards her, gazing intently at her with clear blue eyes. They reminded her of mystic pools… It made her skin tingle… She couldn't tear her own away. Her pupils expanded and dilated as he approached her.

"Akahayashi… don't you see? You have the power… You're the only one we can depend on… You're the _only_ one who can rescue Ichigo. Please help us… please," Ryou begged.

With each word, Saki backed slowly along the table. Although she really didn't want to risk her life, she knew that she had to help. There was no way she could say no, not when the fate of an innocent girl rested solely in her hands. It would be an abomination if she didn't help.

"Okay… I'll hel-waaaaah!" she wailed, finding herself unexpectedly at the edge of the table. Her hand pressed against air and she toppled backwards. Ryou snaked his arm out, catching her effortlessly. Heart slamming from the shock, she righted her uniform as he set her down on the ground.

"Now _you_ are light," he said coolly. She had no idea what that was supposed to mean. But she was paying him no attention anyway. She was too frightened by the enormity of the task she had committed to doing. The risk she was taking was so much greater for her than any of her new team-mates; the consequences even more so. They just didn't understand. If she was caught by the Cyniclons, they would kill her.

"I'll do it…" Saki repeated, stammering bravely. "I'll go to the ship, and… I'll help Ichigo."

He smiled with unabashed relief.

But she wasn't finished yet. "And you're coming with me."

* * *

Ichigo was jolted out of her fitful dreams by the sound of the lock on her cell clicking open. Kisshu was back… and it had only been a few hours since she battled that Cyniclon Mew… surely he couldn't want her to fight again already?

_BAM!_

With incredible force, the door to her cell was slammed open. She sat up on her futon, too startled and scared to move. But it wasn't her enemy her eyes fell upon.

A girl the same age as her was standing in the doorway, dressed in a pale pink Café Mew Mew uniform. Her chin-length red hair was bright and vivid, her hazel eyes warm. They scanned the room quickly, landing on Ichigo's face, and the cat-Mew was startled to recognise her. _The girl from the cafe! _she thought in surprise.

* * *

_Three girls sat around the table, from a school she didn't recognize. One had short, layered red hair, in which was nestled a pale pink ribbon. The second had light brown hair, which was braided in a plait down her back. The third had a high, dark brown ponytail._

_"Peach Parfait, Chocolate Surprise, a Cherry Tart and three raspberry sodas?" Ichigo clarified their order. The redhead nodded, smiling._

_"Thanks," she said when Ichigo placed their orders on the table._

_"Pretty busy today, huh?" the mousey-brown haired girl commented, glancing around. Ichigo followed her gaze. The café was in pandemonium._

_She turned back with a light laugh. "Yeah, I don't know why today's so hectic. It's normally pretty quiet on a Monday."_

_"Better let you get going then," the red-head said jovially._

* * *

"She's hurt!" the girl gasped. Another face appeared from behind her. A face Ichigo couldn't have been happier to see.

"Shirogane!" she cried, struggling to her feet.

"Akahayashi, find her pendant," Ryou commanded, stepping around Ichigo's young rescuer and into the cell, holding his arms out lightly. Ichigo, still weak from her battle, stumbled with a strangled cry of agony and fell into them. He held her tightly.

"Sh-Shirogane! They've copied the pendants! And they've created these alien versions of us… of the Mew Mews! They made me fight one, and... oh, god... they're just too powerful! We can't beat them!" Ichigo tumbled over her words in the rush to explain everything, tears brimming and spilling from her frightened eyes.

"Shh, Strawberry… it's okay," Ryou said gently, his heart pounding with fury. How could they have done this to her? She was a wreck; a terrified shadow of her former self. He knew the aliens were barbaric, but this was even more treacherous than he'd have credited.

Ichigo fell silent, fastening her arms stubbornly around his waist. "Can we go home now?" she whispered anxiously.

"Shirogane-san, I've got it! Let's go," the voice of the red-haired girl called from the hallway. Ryou somehow managed to prise Ichigo off him and took her hand, gently leading her out to where the Saki was waiting. Her eyes flickered from their joined hands to Ichigo's tired face.

"Here." She gently offered Ichigo's pendant to the cat-girl.

"Thanks," Ichigo said tiredly, taking it with a grateful smile.

"Okay, Shirogane – let's go before they catch us," Saki begged, casting a horribly nervous glance around the Cyniclon ship.

"Oh, it's too late for that," a furious voice said from behind them. The trio spun to find a highly unamused Kisshu standing in the hallway. Pai and Taruto teleported behind him, both intrigued. Saki slipped fearfully behind Ryou and Ichigo, nauseous with fear.

"And where exactly do you think you're going with my little kitten?" Kisshu demanded, eyes burning with anger. "Although, I _would _like to know how you managed to get here from that puny place you call Tokyo. _Do_ tell."

"Kisshu – it's _her_," Pai interrupted in astonishment, seemingly the only alien to notice Saki's presence.

"Hmm?" Kisshu asked, turning his gaze to Saki. His eyes widened in shock and fury. "The half-breed! What's _she _doing here?"

Saki instinctively took a step backwards.

He snarled at her. "And the Cyniclons thought you were harmless. I guess it was a mistake after all, sending you to live on that pathetic planet. How dare you stand in our presence!" Kisshu hissed. Saki looked away, tears forming in her brown eyes.

"Enough, Kisshu. You've said enough," Ryou snapped sharply. Ichigo looked up at him, surprised to hear the undercurrent of anger.

Kisshu smiled demonically. His silky voice was a whispered purr. "Don't tell me you've fallen for her. She's the enemy, Blondie. You can't trust her."

"I said _enough_!" Ryou yelled, his fingers tightening on Ichigo's. Kisshu momentarily forgot his cool demeanour, stunned by the boy's outburst. He quickly recovered.

"Well, well…" he trailed off slyly. Ichigo blinked in confusion. What were they all talking about? Was something happening between Ryou and this new girl? She looked between them. _Well, they would go well together… _she justified the idea. Though something inside her bubbled unpleasantly. _Jealousy? s_he wondered. _No… that's impossible…_

"Come on, Shirogane," Saki muttered darkly, holding out her hand. Ryou took it instantly. Ichigo couldn't help glancing at their entwined fingeres.

"Give me your hand, Momomiya-san," Saki instructed, offering her free hand. Ichigo hesitated before clasping it with her own.

"No! Pai – Taruto! Don't let them get away!" Kisshu cried in anguish. But it was too late. As the three Cyniclons rushed towards the trio, Saki shut her eyes and they disappeared.

* * *

"She's a _what_?" Ichigo asked, shocked. Saki sat opposite her in a chair, staring at the floor in shame.

"She's what the Cyniclons call a 'half-breed'," Shirogane explained. "She's equal part human and Cyniclon."

"Oh…" Ichigo trailed off. She looked at Saki, noticing her small, slightly pointed ears for the first time. _She must keep them hidden behind her hair… _she thought idly.

"And she's a Mew Mew," Ryou added. "Her blood is fused with that of the Short-Tailed Chinchilla."

"Where's her Mew mark?" Ichigo asked. Ryou looked at her in surprise, realising he had failed to ask Saki that himself.

"Saki?" he asked. She obediently turned around, pulling her hair aside. At the nape of her neck was a heart with two ribbons protruding from either side like wings, curling around it to meet at the bottom.

"I assume this is what you're talking about. It's been there about a week," she said. Then she sat down again, letting her hair fall to cover it.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Sakuranbo," Ichigo said. "The whole half-Cyniclon thing. I mean, sure, they're evil, right? But you're not. That's what really matters. A person is only bad if they choose to do bad things. Being part Cyniclon doesn't make you evil. Besides, you could really use that whole teleportation thing to your advantage." She offered a cheeky grin, which Saki couldn't resist returning.

From his position, leaning against the door frame, Shirogane observed their conversation. His eyes lingered on Ichigo's sweet face, his heart skipping a beat when she glanced his way.

_She sure has come a long way since I first met her. Not only has she matured, but she's blossomed like I'd never have expected, _he thought wistfully.

Ichigo turned her tired, smiling face towards him. "Isn't that right, Shirogane?"

The sentence dragged him from his thoughts and he wondered what the heck they were talking about.

"Uh… sure," he replied stiffly. Ichigo and Saki sent him twin, confused looks. That was unsettling. One Ichigo was more than enough.

"Look, it's getting really late. You girls should probably get going," he said. "Keiichiro can drive you home, if you'd like."

"No, no. That's okay. I don't live too far from here," Saki replied.

"I don't think I'll be kidnapped again," Ichigo laughed, though it was tinged with uneasiness. "I'll walk home with Saki."

She was certainly looking a little better. After being cleaned up and fed cake (at her insistance), she'd gained some of her old spark again. Aside from being obviously exhausted from her ordeal, Shirogane could almost say she was normal Ichigo. If you looked past the nasty, raw gashes and swollen, purple-yellow bruises. He had no idea how she was going to explain that to her parents.

Saki stood up from the table.

"Well, I'd better go get changed. Meet you out the front, Ichigo?" she asked.

"Sure thing," Ichigo replied, smiling sweetly. Saki headed up the corridor. Shirogane turned and left the room to escape the sudden tension, heading for the stairs.

"Shirogane, wait!" Ichigo stammered. She hurried after him, coming around the corner and nearly smacking into him again.

"I thought you'd gone upstairs," she said, confused.

Ryou rolled his eyes. "I came back down again, baka. That's generally what you do when someone calls your name."

She was too tired to care that he was poking fun at her, and too intent on saying what she was about to say to notice.

"Shirogane… I just wanted to say thanks," she said, a little nerve wriggling in her chest. She blushed a little. "You know, for rescuing me and all."

"You should really thank Saki," Ryou replied lightly. "_She _was the one who rescued you, not me."

"Well, still… you didn't have to come," Ichigo pointed out. "But… I was so pleased to see you…"

She flushed red and looked down awkwardly. She couldn't believe she was admitting to Shirogane that she'd been happy to see his face. Any moment now, she was expecting his already oversized head to explode.

"You had me worried, baka," Ryou said lightly, like it was no big deal.

She looked up in surprise and blurted, "Well that's a first." Silence fell over the pair, and she shifted awkwardly. "Anyway, I've said what I wanted to say, so… I'd better go meet Saki."

She bowed respectfully and started to walk away. As Ryou stared after her, something snapped inside him.

"Ichigo," he half-called, reaching out and grabbing her arm. She came to an abrupt halt, and looked over her shoulder in surprise, turning to face him.

"What is it?" she asked softly. With his gaze fixed on hers, Ryou realised this was his golden window of opportunity. His heart hammered violently in his chest, his blood rushing in his ears. _This is it, _he thought wildly_. Do it now, or never do it. _Without thinking, and without caring what her reaction would be, he tugged her towards him and pressed his lips gently to hers.

Ichigo's heart back flipped. Her head screamed a hundred things at once, none of which made any sense. She stood, rooted to the spot, until he pulled away, his fierce blue eyes fixed on hers. She couldn't read the expression in them; it was one she'd never seen before. He dropped his gaze, shuttering them in an instant.

Silence dragged between them. Ichigo didn't know what to do or say. Her face burned intensely, a perfect study in contrast to his bloodless cheeks. After a few moments of screaming silence, she flicked her eyes tentatively towards his, but her blonde-haired, blue-eyed boss was now conveniently avoiding her gaze.

Shirogane's usual inner voice seemed for once, speechless. Even it didn't know what to do in this unexpected situation. There was nothing going through his mind at all. Eventually, Ryou somehow came to, realising fully the implications of what he'd just done. Without another word, and without even looking back at his stunned waitress, he turned and disappeared upstairs, still composed enough to not run, leaving her stock-still in his wake.

Ichigo's heart was racing at a hundred beats an hour. She could feel it thumping in her chest; hear it thudding in her ear drums. And she could feel the blood rushing around her cheeks. Heat seemed to radiate from her face. She subconsciously raised one hand to her mouth, gently touching her lips, where she'd felt Ryou's just a few seconds ago. _That... did that just happen, or did I dream it?_

"Ichigo-san, are you coming?" a voice called, interrupting her stupor. Ichigo slowly turned her head in the direction of the voice. Saki was standing at the door to the café, her brown leather bag dangling lightly from her fingers, her other hand resting on the doorknob. An odd expression crossed her face.

"Are you… okay?" she asked carefully. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Ichigo let her hand drop from her lips, shaken into sensibility.

"I'm fine! I didn't realise you were waiting," she replied hastily. "I-I'm coming."

She practically ran across the hall to meet the red-head, who opened the door.

"Are you feeling alright? Your face is really red," Saki commented, examining her colleague's flushed cheeks.

Ichigo laughed nervously. "No, I'm fine. Really."

"Well… if you're sure," Saki returned reluctantly. With one last glance over her shoulder at the staircase, Ichigo followed the chinchilla-Mew out of the café into the cool night, closing the door behind her, her mind racing.

* * *

"Ichigo… what's with you today?"

Moe's annoying voice floated into the cat-girl's already buzzing brain. She looked up from her desk. Moe and Miwa were watching her; Moe in frustration, Miwa with curiosity.

"Nothing," Ichigo lied. _Everything_ was 'with' her today. There was simply too much on her mind at the moment. And none of it was in the least bit relevant to the history class she was sitting in.

She wondered what the Cyniclons were doing in regards to their search for the females who would create their ultimate fighting team; the alien Mews. What if they'd found another one of those powerful girls? What if they'd found _all _of them? She wondered how long it would take their own team to find the four remaining Mews… wherever they were in Tokyo…

She wondered what Masaya was doing in England… how his studies were going. She wondered how he was. She wondered why he hadn't contacted her at all; even though they'd broken up, she still thought he was a kind enough person not to cut off all contact so abruptly... She wondered if he had a new girlfriend yet.

And she wondered what was going to happen now between her and Shirogane.

_Maybe it _was_ a dream… but I walked home with Saki afterwards, and that definitely wasn't a dream… maybe it was a daydream… Maybe it didn't even happen…_

Would things be awkward between them now? Would they talk to each other about it? Would they talk at all? Would she even be able to face him this afternoon at work?

"Hello? Earth to Ichigo!" Moe snapped. Ichigo blinked stupidly and looked into her friend's annoyed face.

"Ichigo, what is the matter with you?" she demanded. Ichigo frowned.

"I already told you, _nothing,_" she replied tiredly.

"Oh, because that's totallybelievable. Ichigo, you haven't been the same since Aoyama left, and that was two weeks ago! I've heard of mourning periods before, but don't you think this is a little drastic?" Moe said, crossing her arms.

"Moe! Be careful or the teacher will hear you," Miwa reminded her in a nervous whisper, glancing at their aged teacher's back. He was writing notes carefully on the board. They turned back to their conversation.

"It's not just Aoyama, is it, Ichigo?" Miwa continued, concerned. "Something else is troubling you, isn't it?"

"No, I'm the normal, busy me," Ichigo replied, perhaps a little too forcefully.

"So busy that you can't even find time to spend with your friends?" Moe demanded. Ichigo frowned guiltily. She _had _forgotten about them a lot over the past few weeks.

"I'm sorry, Moe. I've been really busy, what with work and all. But I promise, I'm who I always was. I haven't changed."

"Yeah, sure," Moe muttered under her breath. The bell rang shrilly and there was the instant loud shuffling of books and scraping of chairs as students hurried to escape the school. Ichigo stood up with her two friends, waiting for the crowd around the door to die down a little.

"So, when the real Ichigo returns, you'll give us a call, right?" Moe said sarcastically with a glare, pushing past the students and disappearing down the corridor. Ichigo stood rooted to the spot, speechless.

"She's just… don't worry about it, Ichigo. She'll be fine," Miwa said uncomfortably, giving Ichigo's arm a reassuring squeeze before following her best friend. Ichigo remained where she was, long after the crowd around the door had dissolved. It wasn't until her teacher notified her that she'd been loitering for nearly five minutes that she realised she would be late for work and bolted to her locker.

_As if anything else could go wrong in my life!_

* * *

"Ichigo-chan, you're late," Keiichiro called urgently, by way of greeting. Ichigo sighed.

"I'm sorry, Akasaka-san," she replied, going to get changed.

It was another busy day at the café. She left her belongings in a neat pile and returned to the kitchen. Keiichiro, flour dusted in messy patches on his white uniform, hands and face, was busy mixing, baking and icing. Purin was (for once) carefully placing orders on trays, then not-so-carefully delivering them to their customers. Zakuro was obviously at another photo shoot. Retasu was putting away groceries in the cupboards. As Ichigo glanced around she came to the conclusion that Shirogane was nowhere to be seen. Neither, she realised, were Minto or Saki.

"Keiichiro… where are the others?" she asked. He looked up, vaguely confused.

"Oh! Didn't Ryou tell you? We've picked up the signal of another mew. Minto and Saki have gone to find her. Zakuro's at a shoot. Quick, would you mind delivering this to table eight?" he asked, unintentionally changing the subject. Ichigo took the loaded tray and headed out into the café.

* * *

"So, Aizawa-chan, where do you think we should look?" Saki asked.

Minto examined both streets leading away to their right and left. It was a long, flat road, lined with cherry blossom trees neatly spaced apart. Right now, the trees were bare, as winter was approaching.

Saki had never seen such a splendid neighbourhood. The houses - no, _manors - _lining it were unlike any residences she'd ever seen. Each was different to the one beside it. She was overwhelmed – more than she had been the previous day, when Shirogane had dropped the bomb on her that she'd have to save the world with a bunch of half-animal, mutant teenage girls.

"Well, this street has merit," Minto said in approval. "I say we split. You head down that way, and I'll check up here. If you spot anything odd, use the pendant and I'll be right with you."

"And vice versa," Saki quickly added, more literally than Minto thought. Without another word, her new, snooty, blue-haired comrade walked away, admiring the enormous mansions looming majestically on either side of the street.

Not really knowing what else to do, Saki meandered along the footpath, observing each regal home she passed. Every now and then, she'd hear voices in some of them, or a car engine starting, or music floating from a window. Many of the houses were as silent and forbidding as display homes. Although they were impressive and undoubtedly the most expensive she'd ever seen, they were also the loneliest.

As Saki reached the end of the large court, she looked back over her shoulder. A long, black limousine was snaking along the street towards her. She glanced around. She was standing in front of an unimaginably enormous, multi-floored, many-chimney-ed, clean white mansion. It was easily the largest in the street.

The black limousine crawled along the bitumen and she took several steps backwards to let it pass into the long driveway. As she did, she caught a glimpse of the tinted windows of the passenger compartment. Someone with very white hair was sitting inside, staring right back at her with large, unnervingly pale eyes.

The limousine continued its journey towards the white mansion and the person inside disappeared from sight. Saki watched the vehicle for a moment before turning around. A gasp escaped her small, thin lips.

"Hello, half-breed," Kisshu purred silkily, golden eyes gleaming in a way that suggested trouble was heading her way - fast.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	10. Ten

**10) ...**

Dedicated to Kitty Kat K.O.

* * *

"Minto!" Saki called fearfully. She didn't know how to use the power pendant as a summoning device yet, so she figured yelling loudly enough would grab the bird-Mew's attention. Kisshu smiled, his pointed fangs gleaming.

"Give it up, already. The blue Mew's too far away to hear you. And even if she does, by the time she gets here it'll be too late. You'll be_ long_ disposed of," he threatened lightly.

Saki took an instinctive step backwards.

"Well, that's the general idea," Kisshu agreed with a mirthless laugh. "At least you know when you're in mortal peril. Unfortunately for you, oh beloved worthless one, your time as a Mew is short-lived. Curtain's about to fall, sweetheart!"

As he spoke, Kisshu formed a jelly-like creature in his bony fingers.

"A Chimera!" Saki gasped. "I remember them! You mean you've been using these as _weapons_, Kisshu? How could you! They were supposed to be used to gather data!"

"Change of plans, sweetie. We discovered_ long_ ago that these babies can be used for more _efficient _tasks, if you know what I mean," he replied deviously. He raised his free hand, in which sat a sparkling purple crystal.

"What's that?" Saki asked, with a sickening feeling she didn't really want to know. His smile broadened, which only frightened her more. Clearly, the crystal was bad news. Very bad.

"I guess you're a little behind on the advancements to this little Mew-Cyniclon war thingo we're having. You'll just have to catch up on your own." He grinned. "But since I'm such a nice guy, I'll give you a clue: a certain little princess will be missing her chauffer for some time…"

"Princess?" Saki repeated, confused. She turned to look at the white mansion behind them. The limousine was stationary beside the front steps, far away in the distance. The door stood wide, the feet of a man lying crumpled poking out from behind the wheels. Someone knelt beside him, small and dressed in white, calling out in alarm. A terrible realisation dawned upon her.

"Kisshu… that's not… that's not a _h__uman_?" she gasped, staring at the crystal with newfound horror. He smiled triumphantly.

"Very good. Yes, it's a human spirit. At least your Cyniclon intelligence hasn't _entirely _failed you. But that's all boring mumbo-jumbo." He rolled his eyes, the corners of his lips curling in a languid smirk. He fixed his unnervingly yellow eyes on her face. "Why don't we judge your battle conduct, instead? Ready, half-breed?" Kisshu gave a sudden laugh; apparently something amused him greatly. "Well, I suppose it's not like it really_ matters_, is it?" He raised the palm controlling the levitating Chimera. "Go!"

As Saki watched, the Chimera fused with the human spirit crystal in an explosion of yellow-white light. She threw her hands over her face to protect her smarting eyes, removing them when she heard a horrible screechy squawk. Rising up before her was an enormous black-and-white creature - a … penguin? It was hard to tell. It's beady round eyes glared down at her from behind a pointy, sharp-looking beak. It had wide fin-like wings pinned to its side and supportive, flat feet ending in sharp-taloned claws.

Saki took another instinctive step back as the terrible screech echoed down the long, peacful street.

"What's your next move, weakling?" Kisshu whispered menacingly.

Saki watched the hideous beast with wide, fearful eyes. Where was Minto when you needed her?

* * *

Saki's terrified voice echoed down the street.

An awful screech filled the once-quiet neighbourhood, causing Minto to turn sharply on her heel. She had reached her end of the court and, having found nothing, was preparing for a nice, leisurely stroll back to meet Saki in the middle. Well, that was under the assumption that Saki hadn't found anything. Judging from that tell-tale commotion, it seemed she'd found more than she'd bargained for.

Minto's sharp, cold brown eyes scanned the street, landing on the first obvious out-of-place object in sight. An enormous black-and-white penguin. It towered over all the magnificent mansions. She didn't know how she'd missed it.

"Chimera Anima!" she gasped in disbelief, eyes widening. "What are _they_ doing here?"

Without hesitating, she ran as fast as she could towards the penguin. She only hoped she'd get there in time.

* * *

"Mew Mew Sakuranbo! Metamorphosis!" Saki cried, surprised to find the exact words she was looking for already on the tip of her tongue.

Brilliant white light exploded around her, and from somewhere below, red ribbons of sparkling light surrounded her body. Pieces of clothing swirled over her skin; a puffy red skirt, an off-the-shoulder, puff-sleeved midriff corset with pale pink ribbons, a pair of smart wrist gloves, and a pair of knee-high crushed leather boots. A short, bushy tail extended from her coccyx, and a pair of rounded ears grew from her head. When the light faded, Kisshu scowled as her once hazel eyes flashed ruby red with surprise and delight.

The oversized penguin squawked in protest, apparently displeased by her impressive transformation. It lifted one giant, clawed foot and prepared to slam it down on the chinchilla-Mew. At the last moment, Saki leaped out of the way with a squeak, somehow landing on her feet near the majestic brick-wall fence.

"Saki!"

She turned, as did the Chimera Anima, to see Minto pelting up the path towards them.

"Well, well," Kisshu sneered, watching from a safe distance in the sky. "The posh Mew arrives to save the day."

"Minto! What _is_ that thing?" Saki cried, thankful for her saviour's timely arrival.

"I'll explain later – we have to defeat it!" Minto replied. "Mew Mew Minto! Metamorphosis!"

Saki watched the elegant dancer's transformation with wide eyes. Minto powered straight into an attack.

"Mint Arrows!" she cried, summoning a gleaming silver bow. "Reborn Mint Echo!"

She fired a series of glowing blue arrows at the giant penguin, which screeched in agony and swatted at her with a giant paw. Minto yelped and darted out of the way.

"Saki! Summon your weapon!" she called.

"What weapon?" Saki returned desperately, as the penguin prepared to stomp on Minto.

"Just use your heart! You've got what it takes inside you!" Minto snapped, pulling the bow taught. "It's part of the deal."

She fired another set of arrows, but they missed their target. Saki watched on in dismay as the penguin's swiped at the bird-Mew.

_Come on, Saki, show Kisshu what you're really made of! You're not a Cyniclon,_ or_ a human. You're both, and you should be proud of it! Y__ou can do this!_

"Cherry Sceptre!" she yelled, feeling a smooth rod materialize in her hand. She glanced down at it in amazement. It was long and golden, elegantly carved with a swirling design up the bar. At the tip sat a large, ruby sphere, held in place by four golden arms that twisted around and met at the top in a point, topped with a small round pearl. Kisshu's eyes widened in surprise.

Saki gripped her impressive-looking weapon with new-found courage and cried, "Reborn Cherry Thunder!"

Holding the sceptre high above her head, Saki tilted her face back to watch an array of black storm clouds gather from nowhere. From the centre of the storm a great jagged spark of brilliant pink lightning exploded, shooting down to the earth and striking the penguin right on top of its round head. Screeching in pain, it reeled from its assault on Minto, who scrambled out from underneath its claw, wide eyes fixed on Saki.

"Saki – how did you change the weather?" she asked in amazement. Saki looked down at the rod in her hands and shrugged.

"I have no idea," she replied truthfully. "This thing-a-majiggy did it." She grinned widely. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Kisshu's lip curled in distaste as he watched. "It seems we have a bigger challenge on our hands with the half-breed than we thought."

* * *

Not too far away, a small girl with long, curly white-blonde hair and placid peach-coloured eyes knelt beside the motionless body of her grey-faced chauffer. She pressed her white-gloved hand to his neck, her young face pinched with concern. She sighed with relief when a faint pulse fluttered against her fingertips. She bit her lip. She had no idea what to do, and her parents weren't home. What if he died? Would it be her fault because she couldn't save him?

Without warning, a low growl rolled overhead, and she tilted her pale face back to look upwards. Her peachy eyes widened in surprise. Murky grey clouds were clustering overhead. A storm in the middle of a fine day?

Her gaze dropped over to her right, where, out in the street, a creature unlike any she had seen before loomed over the rooftops. It was like a giant… _penguin_?

Lying on the ground was a girl in a blue costume, with little navy wings. Standing before the monster, holding something long and golden, was a girl in a red costume, with round ears. She shouted something and from the middle of the storm clouds split an enormous, brilliant pink bolt of lightning, which struck the penguin-thing on the top of the head. It screeched and the white-haired girl momentarily forgot about her unconscious chauffer and rose to her feet, absently brushing non-existent dirt from her snow-white, fur-lined coat. From underneath protruded a pair of faun corduroy pants. Her feet were clad in a pair of white, fur-lined boots.

"Miss!" a voice gasped fearfully. The white-haired girl spun on her heel to find one of the younger, more nervous maids running down the steps. She didn't reply.

"What's happening – what's going on?" the maid babbled hysterically. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

She let the maid fuss over her for a moment before stepping back, which meant she no longer wished to be petted.

The maid noticed the chauffer on the ground and shrieked, dropping down beside him. "Miss Miruku – what happened to him? Is he dead?"

"No," Miruku replied quietly. She let her gaze wander out to the battle taking place in the street, noticing for the first time, something… or rather, some_one_… floating in the sky above the street. She took several steps towards the driveway, a strange feeling flickering in her chest. A quiet, urging command.

"Miss! Miss! Where are you going? Come back, please!" the maid cried.

"No," Miruku replied with quiet confidence. "I can help."

Without warning, she took off, running down the driveway, curles bouncing against her back.

* * *

"Keiichiro!" Shirogane called urgently. "You need to see this!"

Within moments his long-haired friend was beside him in the laboratory. "What is it?"

"Minto and Saki have encountered Kisshu and a Chimera Anima. Not only that, the radars are going ballistic. The seventh Mew is about to enter the battle," Ryou replied, indicating to a small dot that was rapidly approaching several others that were creating an array of crazy-coloured flashes on the screen. Keiichiro's eyes narrowed as he observed the pandemonium.

"Shall I send Ichigo and Retasu?" he suggested. Shirogane turned clear blue eyes to his friend, considering the idea. Then he nodded once.

"Be quick – we don't know how much time we have," he called as Keiichiro left.

Ryou turned back to the screen. "Just a little longer, girls."

* * *

"Minto – this thing isn't weakening!" Saki cried desperately, holding her sceptre in front of her. As the penguin stampeded around, aiming physical attacks at the girls, the sceptre created red walls of light which acted as barriers, protecting them from harm.

"I'm running out of ideas…" Minto admitted. "This penguin is too big for only two of us to battle."

"I can help," a small voice piped up.

They looked over in surprise. Standing at the entrance to the white mansion's long driveway was a small girl with long white-blonde curls and curiously pale, peach-coloured eyes. Saki's heart thudded in realisation. _The girl from the limousine!_

"What are you talking about?" Minto snapped, somewhat rudely. The girl seemed unfazed.

"I can help," she repeated in a quiet voice. She was incredibly calm. Her face was the palest Saki had ever seen – for a human. There was not a tinge of colour in her white cheeks. In contrast, her plum-shaped lips were a darkish pink, and her eyes were big and bright. She was a pretty little thing; like a child's doll.

"Look, you might be courageous, but this is a serious –" Minto began, but she was interrupted by a war-cry from the penguin-thing and a wing slapped her aside. With a sharp cry, she was slammed against the brick wall and slumped into a heap on the grass, instantly unconscious.

"Minto!" Saki cried in horror.

"Let me help. I can help," the girl insisted. She was stubborn – you had to give her that.

"Help is here! Help is here! Help is _here_!" a hyperactive electronic voice shrieked.

"Saki!" called another. Could things get any more confusing? The red-head turned to see an already-transformed Ichigo approaching the scene, Retasu following behind her. A round, fuzzy pink device with red ears popped up beside Saki.

"Masha!" she realised in relief. "Ichigo! What are you doing here?"

"Akasaka-san sent us," Retasu explained.

Ichigo noticed the bird-Mew's motionless form on the ground and gasped. ""Oh, no!"

Within seconds, Retasu was beside her, feeling for a pulse and shifting her into a more comfortable position. The penguin screeched angrily – obviously annoyed that its damage spree had been interrupted – and swatted at the girls, who all ducked in turn.

"Saki, where's Kisshu?" Ichigo called, leaping out of the way of a giant claw.

"He's up there," Saki explained, pointing to the sky. Ichigo threw her head back and scanned the grey clouds, her pink eyes locking onto the alien's narrow form. She frowned.

"Can't he give us a break?" she whined. "Seriously!"

"Saki-san," Retasu called. "Who's that girl?"

Saki threw her sceptre-gripping hand in front of her and created a red barrier to detain the penguin, before following the porpoise-Mew's gaze. The white-haired girl was walking towards the penguin, unafraid.

"Hey!" Saki cried, to warn her. When she failed to respond, Saki turned to Retasu, who was cradling Minto. "I have no idea who she is. She just appeared from nowhere and said she wanted to help."

"No kidding!" Ichigo gasped. "She must be that girl Keiichiro was talking about. We have to protect her – she doesn't have her pendant yet!"

Saki's sceptre-hand trembled violently with the effort of maintaining the barrier. "I hate to put pressure on you guys, but I don't think I can hold this thing forever."

"Oh, no! Someone try to stop her!" Ichigo shouted in alarm, as the young girl broke into a run. The penguin turned to face the cat-Mew, beady eyes glaring. It stomped in her direction. Ichigo turned on her heel and sprinted down the street, leading the Chimera Anima away from the other girls.

_Come on, Saki – do something! You're the only one who can fight right now! _Ichigo thought desperately.

Thankfully, as she glanced over her shoulder, she saw the other girl disappear behind the monstrous form of the penguin, hopefully approaching the white-haired child. When she felt it was a safe enough distance, Ichigo turned around and faced the Chimera Anima.

"Alright, mutant. Now it's just you and me," she muttered, locking eyes with it.

* * *

"Hey! Quit struggling, kid," Saki muttered in frustration, holding the white-haired girl back with her arms. The girl was showing an adamant, wordless determination to break free.

Finally, she seemed to realise she wasn't going anywhere, and stilled. Saki, wary of her captive making an attempt to bolt, gently loosened her fierce grip. She turned the girl around and bent down in front of her.

"Who are you? What's your name?" she asked gently.

"Shiroberugu Miruku," the girl replied quietly, her small face expressionless.

"Okay, Miruku. How old are you?" Saki asked.

"Eleven. I can help."

"What do you mean?" Saki demanded, trying not to get frustrated.

"Saki-san, I think she means that she's one of us," Retasu called from her seat on the grass.

Saki turned to look at her. "But that doesn't make any sense! She's _not _one of us!"

Masha popped up beside the child, who smiled a little and tickled his pink fur with one thin finger.

"Hmm," Masha muttered, his round eyes narrowed as he examined the young girl's youthful face. Suddenly he smiled in excitement.

"Mew Mew! Mew Mew!" he chirped, opening his mouth wide. Miruku watched, peach eyes wide, as he coughed up a gleaming, golden pendant, which fell neatly into her outstretched hand. She looked up into his face in surprise, then cracked a genuine grin.

"Hey!" Saki cried, as Miruku broke from her hold and, with surprising agility, darted down the street. "Wait - _stop_!"

* * *

Ichigo grunted as she leaped out of harm's way. The ridiculously large penguin's wing narrowly missed her.

She darted forward and jumped into the air, preparing for attack. From nowhere appeared the second wing, to her left. Ichigo had no time to prepare – she yelped as it swept her aside. Thanks to her reliable cat-genes, the pink Mew landed deftly on her feet.

"That was uncalled for!" she snapped huffily. The penguin laughed. Or, what she thought was a laugh. It was really a series of high-pitched squawks.

"That's it! You asked for it, birdbrain!" Ichigo yelled. "Strawberry Bell!"

She held out her hand, and in her outstretched fingers appeared her beloved weapon. Deciding it wasn't time to muck around, the penguin knocked it out of her hand with astonishing swiftness.

"Hey!" Ichigo protested. She dodged another wing and sprang backwards. Her bell was lying uselessly on the ground. If she didn't reach it soon, the penguin would crush it with its feet. She watched it stomp closer, trying to figure out a new strategy. It wasn't looking promising.

"Mew Mew Miruku! Metamorphosis!" a small voice cried. Ichigo looked past the penguin to see the young girl she'd specifically instructed Saki _not _to let go of running towards her. The cat-Mew's eyes widened as they locked onto something small and golden glinting in the girl's hand. A power pendant.

Before her eyes, white light exploded from between the child's fingers, surrounding her completely. She disappeared from view, in a process Ichigo knew was transforming her small body from its expensive garments to her Mew form.

The light faded. Ichigo was reminded instantly of an angel. She was wearing a short, white, puff-sleeved dress with a ruffled hem, over-the-knee white leather boots, and elbow-length gloves. Her shiny pendant hung from a ruffle at her throat, glittering feebly in the weak sun. A set of creamy wings extended from her shoulders, protruding impressively out beside her – large, feathered, and dotted with flecks of brown. She just needed the halo above her white blonde curls…

The girl's champagne-gold eyes gleamed with determination.

"Milk Chimes!" she summoned, and twin ribbons of silver entwined around her wrists, jingling with little golden bells. The penguin turned its attention from Ichigo, presenting her with the opportunity to jump to her feet and grab her weapon from the ground.

"Reborn Milk Miracle!" the white-haired girl cried, raising her arms. The bells emitted several high-pitched, blissful chimes, and beams of milky-white light erupted from her wrists. They streaked towards the penguin, twisting themselves around its clawed feet and cementing it where it stood. Unable to move, their foe squawked in protest.

Ichigo realised this was her moment. Raising the pink bell in her hands, she called, "Reborn Strawberry Check Surprise!"

Glittering pink light engulfed the Chimera Anima and it began to defore before their eyes. Within moments, all that remained was a hovering, defeated Chimera blob and the sparkling spirit crystal of the white-haired girl's chauffeur. Masha didn't hesitate to dispose of the Chimera, and Ichigo stooped to pick up the crystal.

"Do you want to give it back?" she asked quietly, turning to the girl at her side. Miruku held out her small hand obligingly.

As she trottedf away, Ichigo turned her gaze to the heavens, where, to her dissatisfaction, she watched Kisshu teleport away.

* * *

"This is Café Mew Mew," Retasu explained, as the four girls led the child inside.

She glanced around with quiet curiosity, drinking in the quaint feel of the restaurant. Ichigo and Saki supported an unconscious Minto, whose head rested on Ichigo's shoulder as they carried her inside. Within moments, their bosses were by their side. Keiichiro fixed a concerned gaze on the bird-Mew's motionless form.

"Here…" he trailed off quietly, scooping her out of their arms. He disappeared, carrying Minto away to Shirogane's room. Saki quickly followed him, offering to help.

Meanwhile, Shirogane himself fixed clear blue eyes on the remaining girls' tired faces, lingering a fraction longer on Ichigo's.

"Ran into some trouble, did you?" he asked, lightly joking, knowing full well things hadn't gone to plan.

"Just a little," Ichigo replied with a scowl. "But we got through it all right."

"Of course," Ryou said. "We expect no less." His eyes fell on the child waiting patiently before him. They roved from her perfect, white-blonde ringlets, down to her peach eyes, and trailed to the floor, drinking in her expensive coat and boots. "And this is the new girl."

"Yes," Retasu replied. "This is Miruku."

"Shiroberugu Miruku," Miruku found her small voice, offering out one tiny hand to be shaken with impertinent maturity.

Somewhat surprised, Ryou shook it, impressed. "And how old are you, Shiroberugu Miruku?"

"Eleven," she said, holding his gaze with quiet confidence.

Ichigo stared at her young face with curiosity. _For a girl her age she has surprising confidence. She's probably as self-assured as Shirogane… and that's saying something, _she thought. From the expression on her blonde boss' face, Ichigo imagined he was thinking the same thing.

"Well, Shiroberugu, welcome to Café Mew Mew," Shirogane said, moving the conversation along. "I'm Shirogane, and my partner's Akasaka. We own this café, and we also started this project – the one you're now part of. It's called the Mew Project, and it involves manipulating the DNA of several select girls to match the DNA of specific, endangered species. Yours is mixed with that of the Mauritius Kestrel, a rare species of bird of prey. I'll explain it all in more detail later, but to cut a long story short, we're searching for three more girls who have similar DNA qualities to yours, to prepare for battle against our enemies; an alien race known as the Cyniclons. As long as you are part of this team, you will be expected to work here at the Café, as a waitress, like all the girls. In a moment you'll have to try on the mandatory uniform. Are you with me so far?"

Ichigo couldn't believe how quickly he was rushing all this upon the poor girl. _She _was confused just listening to him. But the peach-eyed girl merely nodded.

_She's so calm… _Ichigo thought, watching the quiet girl obediently take the box containing her café uniform out of Shirogane's hands and walk silently down the corridor, away from the group. The moment she disappeared, questions broke out among Ichigo and Retasu.

"Who is she?"

"Where did she come from?"

"How'd you know she was the next Mew?"

"Girls, please," Ryou had to raise his voice to be heard over their chatter. Retasu folded her hands in her lap, listening with keen curiosity.

"She's definitely different to each of you girls. She's the quietest girl I've ever met. Now, Keiichiro and I have undertaken research on the girl, but we haven't been able to come up with much more than basic information. It seems someone has taken extra precautions to make her identity inaccessible. We think she might be linked to someone important - maybe a politician or celebrity. All we know is this girl is a key element in what's becoming our more advanced team," Ryou explained, somewhat stern.

"But, Shirogane-san, how did you know she was the next girl?" Retasu repeated, confused. Keiichiro reappeared from tending to Minto, Saki trailing behind.

"She'll be fine," he explained, in response to Ichigo and Retasu's questioning looks.

"Masha told us," Ryou answered Retasu's earlier question. Ichigo fell silent as her mind poured over everything they had learned so far. With three girls left to find, who knew how long it would be before the aliens struck again? How far along were they in the search for their twisted version of the Mews? It made her stomach roll nervously.

"… For now, I'd suggest you just leave it. We'll discuss it more tomorrow in your shift," Shirogane was saying. Ichigo snapped back to reality. _I've been zoning out so much lately… more than usual… I hope nothing's wrong with me… _she thought worriedly.

The small group was silent as Miruku reappeared in her uniform. Identical to the uniforms worn by the existing Mews, the new girl's was creamy white with a pale, champagne-coloured ribbon at the neck. The socks were champagne to match. The cream contrasted boldly with the black of the heavy shoes.

Ichigo thought suddenly, Y_ou wouldn't even see the white maiden crown in her hair, if it didn't have the gold on it! Her hair is so pale… who has natural hair that colour? _

She glanced around the room, her eyes falling on Retasu. Then she thought of Zakuro, and Minto lying upstairs. _I guess green, purple and blue __aren't exactly the normal, either. What a weird bunch we are…_

"That seems to fit you perfectly," Keiichiro complimented, the first to comment. As usual, he was cheery and charming. "It's very complimenting."

Miruku didn't reply. She quietly fidgeted with the hem of the skirt, toying with the lacy frill along the bottom.

Ichigo watched her intently. _Well, this is an awkward moment, _she couldn't help thinking.

"Shirogane-san?" Retasu asked quietly.

The blonde boy turned to her expectantly. "Yes? What is it, Midorikawa?" She blushed, something he was growing tired of.

"Well, it's getting a bit late," she stammered, apologetic.

"Oh, dear! Of course it is!" Keiichiro gasped. "You girls can go if you'd like. We really didn't mean to keep you so long this evening."

"Thank you, Akasaka-san," Retasu breathed with relief. Ichigo suddenly remembered something she couldn't believe she'd forgotten.

"Where is Purin?" she asked, glancing around the empty café.

"She had to get her sister from day care," Keiichiro explained. "We'll have to introduce her to Miruku tomorrow afternoon." He turned to the white-haired Mew, who was standing, a little awkwardly, waiting to be told what to do next.

"Your shift starts at four," he said kindly. "Can you be there?"

Miruku nodded silently, her small face expressionless.

_How can she show no emotion? Doesn't she feel anything? Happy? Sad? Angry? Tired? Bored, even? She just doesn't look anything… just like a robot… _Ichigo thought, her eyes flitting over to the kestrel-Mew.

"I should be going," Retasu said suddenly. "I'm truly very sorry, but my parents will be worried…"

"Of course," Keiichiro replied with a gentle smile.

"W-well, I guess I'll see you all tomorrow," she stammered, before hurrying from the café.

Shirogane sighed deeply. "Miruku, you can go and get changed. Keiichiro will take you home. Will your parents be worried about you?"

Miruku shook her head. Then she glided out of the room and along the corridor to the change room.

"Would any of you like a hot drink?" Keiichiro asked merrily, all smiles.

"No thank you, Akasaka-san," Ichigo replied.

"Hot cocoa, please," Saki said.

"Coffee. Fl–" Ryou added, but Keiichiro interrupted him.

"Flat, one sugar." He smiled knowingly. Ryou returned it, and his friend headed to the kitchen, leaving Ichigo and Saki alone with their blonde boss. Ichigo felt heat creep under her skin, wondering what to do or say now.

"Is Minto going to be alright?" she asked, thankful for any topic of conversation that had nothing to do with her, him, or both of them. Shirogane crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame.

"She should be fine by tomorrow afternoon," he replied coolly. "If she's not, we'll have to take her to the hospital. We'd better start thinking of a cover story…"

"Oh!" Saki gasped. "I left my coat!"

She quickly disappeared.

They lapsed into silence. Whether it was awkward or companionable, Ichigo couldn't tell. Burning with curiosity, she decided not to keep quiet any longer.

"I need to ask you something," she blurted. He glanced up at her, blue eyes questioning, dread slowly settling over him with cold, prickling fingers.

"What is it?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice steady. _Please don't say anything, Ichigo… I don't know what to say to you._

"About… about last night…" she trailed off in embarrassment, to his dismay. Her face was burning.

"Last night?" Shirogane said calmly, though inside he was anything but. "What do you mean? As I recall, nothing particularly out of the ordinary happened last night… unless you think otherwise?"

He raised one eyebrow, sending her a brief look, daring her to contradict him.

Ichigo beamed. In her opinion, that was his way of smoothing it all over – it meant that nothing would be odd between them. That the silly kiss would be put behind them. Thankfully. She flashed her boss a quick smile.

"No, of course not. I was thinking the same thing. I'm relieved you could confirm my thoughts, exactly, Shirogane," she said brightly. They locked eyes, chocolate brown on clear blue, and her stomach did an unexpected back flip.

"Glad I could be of help," Shirogane replied dismissively. Then he turned away.

"See you tomorrow, Strawberry," Ryou called over his shoulder. "And _don't_ be late."

Ichigo watched him leave the room, stalking off to the kitchen. The invitingly warm scent of coffee had been wafting from it for the previous few minutes, tempting and invigorating.

With a sigh that could be read in many ways, Ichigo turned and wandered out into the cold night, relieved that everything complicated between them had been smoothed out. Like a cat slinking into the shadows, she drifted away from the café, heading for home, where she knew her warm, comfortable bed would be ready for her.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	11. Eleven

**11) ...**

Dedicated to Zephyrus Anemoi Fiction

(nee ZephyrFiction)

* * *

"Shiroberugu?" Minto gasped.

She was sitting up in Shirogane's bed, propped against a large stack of pillows, mandatory fruit tea in hand. A long rest had helped the-bird Mew recover, and now, at three o'clock the following afternoon, she was rapidly returning to her normal self. Ryou had no doubt that, if not for the few sprains in her vertebrae, she'd be downstairs, criticising the state of the café.

"Yes, that's what I said," Ryou repeated, folding his arms across his chest. "You know her?"

"Well, not personally, but of course I know _of _her!" Minto said daintily, examining her pristine fingernails. "She's only the daughter of the wealthiest prospector in the oil business! Everybody who's _anybody_ knows her name. She attends all the parties of the members of the board. She has everything she could ever want. She's a student at the most prestigious school in Japan. She is the wealthiest heiress in the country! Of _course _I know who she is!"

Ryou waited patiently for her little rant to conclude, musing to himself that she really sounded like another version of Minto. He stared wistfully out the window at the sky. It was brilliant blue, dotted with light, wispy clouds. A sole bird flew past. The trees outside were starting to lose their leaves; fall was morphing slowly into winter. Already a chill was creeping into the night. Ryou realised Minto had finished speaking and returned his attention.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?" Ryou asked, confused.

She raised one eyebrow. "Why are you asking me about Shiroberugu? What else?"

"Well, when we acquire a new addition to the team, it's beneficial for us to know as much as we can about her," Ryou replied, rolling his eyes. Minto's eyes widened. She seemed to have forgotten about her tea; it clattered loudly as the cup tipped, spilling its contents over the saucer and splattering the bedcovers. It went unnoticed.

"She's… _what_? Miruku… the next Mew?" she stuttered.

"You know… I think this might even top when Zakuro joined the team," Ryou smirked. Minto's face was priceless.

"Is she here now?" she asked shrilly.

Ryou nodded. "You already met her."

Minto blinked, astonished. "When?"

"At the battle - remember?" He shot her a strange look.

"What do you - oh!" Minto gasped, eyes widening with realisation. "You mean - the child - _she's_ - oh, lord." She paled.

"What's wrong?" he asked sharply.

Minto looked utterly dismayed. "I was so rude! I thought she was just a normal, meddling kid! Oh, I can never show my face downstairs. Ever!" She moaned and pulled the covers up over her head.

Ryou fought an incredulous laugh. "You're kidding, right?"

"You don't understand!" Minto's muffled voice snapped hotly. "You don't know what it's like for people like us. I'm so ashamed!"

He rolled his eyes and bent to tug the blankets down. "Stop being so melodramatic. It's not that bad."

"Fine. Shirogane, help me out of bed," Minto commanded. Ryou's face became serious.

"Aizawa, no. You can't get up. You're not allowed to move," he told her sternly. "You're not going down to see Miruku. Not in your current state. You'll have plenty of time to see her later."

"Ryou," Keiichiro interrupted, poking his head in the door. He noticed the conscious Minto and smiled. "It's good to see you up, Minto-san. How are you feeling?"

"Annoyed," Minto replied huffily. "Shiroberugu Miruku is downstairs, and I can't see her."

Keiichiro laughed good-naturedly.

"That's not quite what I meant," he said. "How is your back?"

"Sore."

"She still can't move it, Keiichiro. We're going to need a brace," Ryou said.

"A what?" Minto demanded in horror.

"A neck brace," Keiichiro explained. "It holds your head in place and stops your spine from twisting too much. I think it would be a good idea for you to wear one. It'll help you heal."

Minto sighed as they left the room. Resting her head back against the pillows, she winced involuntarily as a sharp pain shot down her spine.

"It's going to be a boring few days," she mused moodily, swilling the remains of her tea around her cup.

* * *

"I'm here, na no da!"

Ichigo and Retasu turned from where they were polishing the cutlery to see a very happy Purin beaming in the doorway.

"Hey, Purin!" she greeted merrily. It had been a while since she'd seen the monkey-Mew. "How're you doing today?"

"Great!" Purin chirped. Her face suddenly fell. "How's Minto-onee-chan?"

"She's up in bed," Retasu explained. "You can go up and see her if you'd like. But be careful. Akasaka-san said her back is very tender."

"It's hardly her back we need to worry about," Ichigo muttered, and mimicked an ogre stomping around in a rage. Purin giggled.

Retasu was about to reply when the little bell above the door tinkled and all the three of them turned. A small girl with long, whitish curls had entered. She looked around expressionlessly.

"Hi, Miruku-san," Ichigo greeted tentatively. She wasn't sure what to expect in the new girl. Miruku walked a little further inside.

"Hello," she said quietly, eyeing them all.

Purin stared in open curiosity. "Who's this, na no da?"

"Oh, right," Retasu realised. "You two haven't met yet. Purin, this is Miruku, the new Mew. Miruku-san, this is Purin."

With a happy shout, Purin bounced forward and skipped around the young girl, chattering in a very Purin-like way. They were about the same age, Ichigo realised. Miruku stood quite still, waiting patiently for the monkey-Mew to calm down. There was a cool expression on her porcelain-like features. She sniffed daintily, picking at a bit of fluff on the hem of her fur lined coat.

Purin abruptly realised her joy wasn't mutual, ceased being excited and let her hands drop from where she'd enthusiastically embraced the girl.

"Please excuse me," Miruku said in a dull voice, stepping away from them all.

"Did I say something wrong, na no da?" Purin asked sadly, as the kestrel-Mew walked away.

"I don't think so, Purin," Retasu replied, equally as confused.

"She's very quiet," Ichigo added. "I don't think she's a very excitable girl."

"Oh…" Purin looked crushed. She plastered a grin on her face. "Well! I'd better go get changed, na no da! We've got a whole lot of work to do today!"

"Purin…" Retasu called half-heartedly, but she'd already bounded away. Ichigo exchanged a sad glance with the green-haired girl.

"Poor Purin," she said, putting the cutlery away.

"I know. She's been the youngest for so long that a new girl the same age as her probably made her so happy," Retasu replied. "She was so excited."

"I guess she'll just have to get used to the fact that Miruku doesn't play around like she does," Ichigo added. She left an unhappy Retasu in the kitchen and went to find the broom.

* * *

_Ding!_

"All passengers on flight zero-eight-seven please make your way to the baggage collection. Flight zero-eight-seven. The airline is now unloading to the carousels."

_Ding!_

The female voice echoed around the airport. Fujiwara Zakuro fixed the dark satin scarf around her neck, and the broad, elegant hat on her head. She slipped on a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Okay. I'm ready, Kenji."

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Zakuro was really not in any mood for the paparazzi. She'd just landed back in Tokyo after her photo shoot in California, and she was quite keen to collect her bags and get back to Café Mew Mew without being noticed. It was wishful thinking, of course.

The minute she stepped off the aerobridge with her casually-dressed bodyguards, they popped up everywhere. How did they always know where she was, what she was doing, and where she would be going? Sighing inwardly, Zakuro elegantly removed her sunglasses, flashing the photographers a famously charming smile. Shouts came from all directions.

"Miss Fujiwara! Smile over here, please!"

"Over this way, Miss Fujiwara!"

"Miss Fujiwara, tell us about your latest photo shoot!"

"There are rumours you'll be on the front page of a famous magazine in America. Is this true?"

"Is it true you'll be modelling for _Playboy_?"

"No," Zakuro's rep said firmly. Surrounding her with bodyguards, the small party pushed through the crowd of photographers, behind which had gathered a large hoard of curious people. Holding her hat on her head, Zakuro looked around at the sea of people craning to look at her.

"Miss Fujiwara – quickly please," her manager called over his shoulder. They pressed on towards the baggage carousel, paparazzi popping up everywhere. Her case had been removed before the rest, and an airline official was waiting beside it. He spoke into a walkie-talkie as they approached.

"Thank you," Zakuro's manager said, grabbing it and wheeling it away. Zakuro smiled at the official, who seemed a little bedazzled, before sweeping after him. Her limousine was waiting conveniently outside the doors. Mr Kenji leapt forward and pulled the rear door open.

"Thanks," Zakuro said quickly, sliding neatly into the back with her manager. Her case was shoved in the trunk and Kenji appeared in the driver's compartment.

"Where to, Miss Fujiwara?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Her home, of course!" he manager, Mr Hokari, scoffed. Zakuro smiled wryly.

"Actually, no," she contradicted him.

He looked surprised. "No?"

"Café Mew Mew, if you please," Zakuro said. Kenji nodded curtly and slid up the dividing window. The engine purred to life and the limousine pulled away from the terminal, beginning its journey back to the café.

* * *

"Zakuro-onee-chan!" Purin cried happily.

Retasu paused in the doorway to the kitchen with a heavily-laden tray in her arms. Ichigo looked up from where she was mopping the floor. Purin's fingers hesitated above the register.

Zakuro walked in, catching the attention of everybody in the café. People stopped talking and hushed murmurs of recognition swept through the customers.

Keiichiro walked by with an impressive-looking cake creation. He sent Zakuro a beaming smile. "Nice to have you back, Zakuro-san."

"Keiichiro!" Shirogane called from the staircase. "Minto's brace fits; she's complaining a bit, but her back–" He stopped quickly upon spotting Zakuro. A small smile crossed his face.

"Fujiwara," he greeted coolly, nodding curtly.

She smiled wryly, then her expression sharpened as she glanced at the empty table usually occupied by a certain, pristine blue-haired Mew. "Where's Minto?"

"She's upstairs," Ryou replied.

"Why?" Zakuro inquired.

"We were battling a Chimera Anima," Ichigo explained. "She was injured…"

"Is she alright?" Zakuro demanded, concern flashing in her eyes.

"She's going to be," Keiichiro reassured her. "But she was quite badly hurt."

"Her vertebra was sprained in several places," Ryou added.

Zakuro glanced down at her quickly-healing fractured arm in its white cast. "Can I see her?"

"Sure. I'm sure she'll be pleased to have some company." Shirogane smirked. "She's been bored all afternoon. It's all we hear about."

As Zakuro crossed the room and headed upstairs, Ryou glanced at Ichigo, who was still standing with an absent-minded grip on the mop.

"Baka," he called lightly. "Keep mopping."

Ichigo's mouth pulled down into a frown at the insult, and she prepared to protest loudly. An odd expression crossed her face. He wasn't being nasty about it; he was only teasing. She blinked in confusion, staring dumbly at him.

Smirking quietly at her reaction, Ryou walked away down the hall, bound for the laboratory.

* * *

Minto was absolutely delighted. "Zakuro-onee-sama!"

"Hello, Minto. What happened to you?" Zakuro asked, seating herself at Shirogane's desk. Minto was still propped up, but now with the addition of a thick, foam-and-plaster brace clasped around her neck. She looked very uncomfortable.

"Oh… we were just battling," Minto said casually, brushing it off. "And this penguin-thing smashed me into a wall. You know."

"Sounds oddly like what happened to me." Zakuro smiled wryly, glancing at her cast. Minto laughed.

"How was the photo shoot?" she asked, interested.

Zakuro shrugged. "The same as any other."

There was a knock at the door and Saki poked her head in.

"Sorry to bother you, Zakuro-san, but Shirogane would like your assistance in the laboratory. Something to do with the next Mew or something," she said, hazel eyes flicking to the bed-ridden Mew. She hesitated slightly. "How're you doing, Minto-san?"

"Perfectly fine, thank you, Akahayashi," Minto replied, somewhat shortly. Saki looked a little uncomfortable. Zakuro rose from her seat.

"Well, I'd better talk to Shirogane. I'll be back later, Minto," she said. Minto sent Saki a cool stare. With something suspiciously like a squeak, Saki slipped out hastily after Zakuro.

"So, why is she mad at you?" Zakuro asked as they descended the stairs.

"Um… I'm not entirely sure. I think it was because she got injured in battle and I didn't," Saki replied, hazel-green eyes flashing with confusion. "Or maybe I didn't defend her or something. She's really mad, huh?"

"I guess. What you need to know about Minto is that she's an only child. So she tends to need to be the centre of attention sometimes," Zakuro explained. "She's probably not actually that mad at you. She just wants you to feel guilty for making her mad, which you are. Soon enough she'll get over it."

"Oh…" Saki said stupidly, drinking all this in.

They walked into the laboratory. Ryou was sitting at his multiple-screened computer, tapping furiously at the keyboard. Boxes of information were popping up everywhere. It was quite exciting.

"Shirogane-san," Saki interrupted. He looked up expectantly. "Zakuro-san is here."

"Oh, right. Thanks, Saki," Ryou replied. "Come in, Zakuro."

Zakuro sent Saki a small smile. The jovial red-head shut the door as she left. Zakuro waited while her eyes became accustomed to the darkness, listening to the constant whirrs of Ryou's computers. She crossed the room to where he was sitting and sat down on a spare computer chair, waiting for him to speak.

"What do you know about Torekokumo Ame?" Ryou asked. Zakuro watched him coolly with serene eyes.

"Well…" she began thoughtfully, "She's an excellent singer. The critics love her. She's very beautiful, confident, and successful. People are calling her the idol of the generation. She won the '_Tokyo Teen!_ Talent Competition' in 1999 and became a star before anyone could stop her. Kids love her. Boys think she's gorgeous. She was the year's 'Rising Star'. She's fifteen years old."

"You're sure the girl you're talking about…" Ryou tapped around on the keyboard and a photo appeared on the screen. It was of a girl with pearly, smooth skin, long, deep blue-green ringlets, and big catlike blue-brown eyes. She was smiling charmingly. "… is the same girl on the screen?"

"Yes, absolutely," Zakuro replied immediately. "I've been to a few celebrity parties this year, and she was there. She smiles the same smile in every photo. Shirogane," she added warningly. "Don't tell me she's the next Mew."

"Well… she might be. I want you, Ichigo, Retasu and Saki to go to her performance tomorrow. After the show, you, being well-loved and famous and all that, will head out the back and have a chat our rising starlet. Try to convince her to come out here for coffee. Do whatever you have to do, Fujiwara. You're probably the only one she'll actually listen to."

"You do realise it's going to be even more difficult for her to be around consistently than it is for me," she replied. "Injecting a teen pop sensation really wasn't your most intelligent idea."

"Unfortunately," Ryou replied, "There was very little we could do about it. But we'll make it work somehow."

Zakuro sighed. "All right. Don't say I didn't warn you." She was quiet for a moment. "So, basically, you want me to use my fame to bring her here so you can test her?"

A hint of a smile crossed Ryou's face. "Basically."

"Consider it done."

* * *

"Kisshu, our sensors have detected the strength of another human's DNA," Pai said informatively.

Kisshu looked around from his lounging position, where he'd spent the last few minutes wondering bitterly why Ichigo couldn't find any love for him in her heart.

"Oh, really?" he asked smoothly, sounding entirely uninterested. Pai frowned.

"Yes. Now why don't you come and have a look?" he said pointedly, in a no-nonsense voice.

Kisshu rolled his eyes. "Do I look like I can be bothered?"

"Kisshu, this is ridiculous! Get up now and come and fulfil your duties, as our leader, to our race. You were placed in control of this mission because of your 'determination' and 'enthusiasm'. Perhaps I should report back to Deep Blue with this sudden lack of interest?" Pai said sternly. Kisshu glared at him in distaste.

"Alright, alright – don't get your panties in a twist," he sneered, rising casually and stalking past his older comrade. Pai resisted the temptation to hit him and simply followed instead, maintaining his cool composure.

"So who is this charming little freak?" Kisshu asked, yawning loudly.

"A young female by the name of 'Ame'," Pai replied, ignoring his friend's attitude. "She's a popular musical artist among the younger humans. Our sensors have detected that the balance of DNA in her cells has been recently altered somehow. Her DNA is very active at the moment."

"Interesting," Kisshu purred, gleaming yellow eyes fixed on the screen. It displayed an image of a pretty turquouise-haired girl. "Perhaps we should check her out?"

"There is the possibility that those meddling Mews have yet to discover her intriguing DNA behaviour," Pai replied stiffly. "This could be the perfect opportunity to undo their plans."

"By kidnapping the starlet before they get to her?" Kisshu asked, interested now.

"Precisely."

"Well, Pai, my friend, I've got to give you _some _credit; sometimes you're just downright ingenious," he said, smirking. Pai turned silently to leave.

"Tell the youngling our plans," Kisshu called to his back. "Tomorrow, we're going to a concert."

* * *

"Aww… Why can't I go, na no da?"

Purin sat backwards on a chair, arms resting against the back of it, chin resting on the top; her legs dangling out either side. Ichigo watched her absent-mindedly, thoughts elsewhere.

"We need someone to stay here and look after the café, Purin-san," Keiichiro said, trying his best to explain to the impatient young girl why she was remaining behind. It was proving more difficult than he'd originally imagined. She wasn't taking very well to the idea.

"So all the others get to go out and have fun while I'm stuck here, cleaning up?" she demanded, pouting. "Doesn't sound fair to me, na no da."

"You won't be here alone, Purin-chan," Retasu replied. "Minto and Miruku will be here, too."

"But Minto-onee-chan will be in bed asleep, and Miruku-san doesn't like me!" Purin protested. In the corner of the room, white-haired Miruku listened silently, unfazed by the monkey-Mew's claims.

"That's not true, Purin," Retasu said, glancing nervously at the kestrel-Mew. "I'm sure she likes you very much."

"Well, why won't she play with me, then? She's boring, na no da," Purin declared, hands on hips. Retasu blushed furiously, hoping she wasn't offending the quiet heiress.

"Purin-san, perhaps this isn't the best time to be having this conversation…" Keiichiro trailed off, smiling a little uncomfortably. Purin puffed up her cheeks like a small child about to throw a tantrum.

"But it's not fair, na no da!" she cried. "I wanna go, too!"

"You can't Purin!" Ichigo cried, finally snapping. "Shirogane said so, and what he says goes. So just deal with it, okay?"

"Would anyone like some soda?" Saki, who'd presently arrived on scene, asked from the doorway. In her hands was a tray loaded with the last few dirty dishes and cups from the café, which had recently shut.

Luckily for everybody, Purin was instantly distracted by the concept of sweet, fizzy liquid, and she jumped up and bounced away after the red-haired girl like an excited puppy. Retasu sighed with relief, pulling on her blue cardigan.

"Well, that didn't quite go to plan," Keiichiro said jovially, laughing lightly. Ichigo untied her white apron and rolled it up into a ball. Miruku stood wordlessly from where she had been sitting and walked away down the corridor to get changed. They watched her leave, wondering how she really felt about them all. Then their gaze turned to the staircase, where Zakuro was returning from another visit with Minto. As they watched, she walked into the foyer, attempting to remove the cast from her arm.

"You're certain it doesn't cause you any pain anymore?" Keiichiro asked quickly, his eyes filled with concern.

"I'm sure," she replied flatly, ripping at it with a sort of eager vengeance.

"I just don't want you making a hasty decision and re-injuring it," Keiichiro went on, watching her apprehensively. "Perhaps it would be better if–"

_RRRIP!_

With a satisfied smile, Zakuro pulled the cast off her arm and carefully flexed her fingers. She looked up, midnight blue eyes looking relieved.

"Well, that's that," Akasaka said reluctantly, as she tossed the useless white scrap in the trash.

"Ready to go?" Zakuro asked, looking around at Retasu and Ichigo, the latter starting in surprise.

"Oh! I totally forgot… I have to get changed!" she exclaimed, hurrying away down the corridor to do so.

She dressed quickly, pulling on the pink frock Zakuro had given her for the photo shoot. _Gosh… that feels like so long ago now… _she mused wonderingly. She looked in the mirror to tie up the ribbon and jumped violently in surprise, cat ears popping out involuntarily. Miruku had appeared from nowhere and was standing behind her, pulling on her fur coat.

"Oh, hello," Ichigo said, heart still racing. "You scared me."

"Sorry…" Miruku replied quietly, watching her with peachy eyes. They stared at each other for a few moments.

"Your ears are out…" Miruku trailed off, sounding completely disinterested. She picked up her designer bag and walked towards the door. Ichigo, who had clamped her hands to her furry ears, perked up.

"Hey – wait!" she called. The small child came to an obedient halt, waiting for her to continue. Ichigo took a deep breath.

"Look, Miruku-san, you don't always have to be so polite, y'know… We don't mind so much about manners and all that," she said, trying to sound friendly and jovial. "Why don't you let loose and come have fun with us sometime?"

Miruku was silent. Her face was expressionless. Ichigo wished she had some sort of indication as to what she was thinking.

After a moment, the girl spoke, her quiet, smooth voice like a breath of wind. "See you tomorrow."

Then she walked out without another word, a confused Ichigo watching on with wide eyes, realising she'd just made a complete fool of herself.

* * *

**To be continued...**


End file.
